Everyone Needs Someone
by Newfi Girl
Summary: 15 years after casting the dark curse, Regina feels a void in her life that she can no longer ignore. She desperately desires the company of another in this world without magic. The adoption of Emma Swan, a teenager with her own inner demons, brings new meaning into Regina's revenge-driven life. However, this child who slowly makes her life worth living, might also be her undoing.
1. Hope

***Waves* Hello everyone! **

**Let me just start with a disclaimer. I do not own _Once Upon A Time. _I just really enjoy the story line and want to dabble with the characters a bit.**

**Regina's character development throughout the series is something I have always admired - waging an internal war to conquer the evil queen within and become a hero. I also enjoy the bantering friendship between her and Emma Swan. So, I found myself thinking recently, what could have happened if Regina had chosen to adopt years before Henry's birth? Knowing Gold, he would have used that opportunity to bring a teenage Savior into the story. And that is how the idea for this fanfic came about.  
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_**Summary: 15 years after casting the dark curse, Regina feels a void in her life that she can no longer ignore. She desperately desires the company of another in this world without magic. The adoption of Emma Swan, a teenager with her own inner demons, brings new meaning into Regina's revenge-driven life. However, this child who slowly makes her life worth living, might also be her undoing.**_

**So, without further ado...**

**Chapter One: Hope**

Regina sat idly behind her desk, arms crossed rigidly over her chest as her eyes aimlessly roamed over the black and white walls of her office. The usually spacious room seemed small and rather constricting this afternoon. She found that the more her brown orbs scoured the office, the more the walls seemed to close in around her. A feeling of panic began to set in.

Eager to rid herself of the emotion, the refined brunette pushed herself away from the desk and stood briskly, beginning to pace about the room in an agitated manner. Her heels clicked repetitively against the marble flooring beneath her feet. Regina did _not_ like feeling confined. She absolutely _despised _it. That is one of the reasons, when she had originally cast the dark curse, that she had made the town hall, and her home, two of the largest buildings in Storybrooke. She had never felt cramped in either of the areas where she spent most of her time. That is, until today.

She paused for a moment, inhaling a deep breath as her eyes closed. The attempt at reigning her fear in failed. Her heart began hammering against her chest even harder as she dared to crack an eye open. Four walls, seemingly closing in around her. She needed to get some air, _now._

The former queen quickened her pace and nearly jogged out of the building, halting only when she could feel the warm rays of an afternoon sun shining down from overhead. She rested her back against the front door, palms extended flatly over the smooth wooden surface. She closed her eyes once more, letting the warmth of the sun act as a sort of anchor, and slowly, _agonizingly _slowly, her heart rate began to steady.

_Get it together. _Her internal tone was sharp, scolding. How dare she let herself show such weakness. A queen would never act in such a manner, especially not the evil queen. Mentally she tried to reign herself in, but her body continued to betray her. A strange sensation began to rise in her chest. While she no longer felt as though she had just completed a marathon, she noticed a tightness overwhelming her chest cavity. It felt as if her heart was fighting a battle and losing mercilessly, becoming lost within a deep void, leaving behind only a black hole.

Without thinking, she brought a hand to her breasts and pushed down roughly, fingers clenched as if she could claw her way through the bone and muscle to grab the organ. While this task could have easily been completed with magic, grasping onto her heart for protection was impossible now. Defeated, Regina dropped her hand and pushed herself away from the door, moving to take a seat on one of the nearby benches. She placed her elbows upon her thighs and slowly lowered her head so that the tips of her fingers could massage her temples. What was wrong with her?

However, deep down, she already knew that answer. She had known it for years now, beginning only days after enacting the dark curse. But it had never been this prominent. It had never made her feel like her world was collapsing around her... like her body and mind were turning against one another. The feeling was so raw, eagerly clawing at her blackened heart like a caged, wild animal vying for freedom. The feeling of complete and utter isolation. Her heart clenched even further at the mere thought of the word. With a defeated sigh, Regina hid her face within her palms. Yes, she was isolated. And she was simply... lonely.

On this day, 15 years ago, the dark curse had been enacted. All happy endings had been vanquished. The evil queen had won, and her step-daughter, Snow White, had finally lost. The once tough woman was now but a shell of her former self, confined to an eternity of believing herself to be nothing but a weak, gutless school teacher in a long forgotten town. Her once true love, Prince Charming, was trapped in an endless coma in the confines of Storybrooke's hospital. Regina, herself, was the mayor... a woman never to be questioned. She was respected. She was _feared. _And she savored every second of it. At least, she had for the first few weeks of the curse.

But as the days wore on and the same scenarios played themselves over and over again - everyone lowering their eyes in submission without a second thought, people acknowledging her in the same areas during her morning commutes to town hall with the exact same short references, sitting at her desk with endless paperwork until 4pm, then making the same trek home to an empty mansion in the middle of town - she began to become bored... if not agitated. This was not what she had envisioned when creating the curse. She wanted power, but not in isolation, and not over a town of zombies.

But that is exactly what she had gotten, and exactly what she had been dealing with for the past 15 years. An internal struggle everyday that tore away at her sanity. She had everyone and everything sitting in the palm of her hand, and yet this was still far from any kind of happily ever after.

She couldn't take it anymore. Something had to change if this were to be the rest of her life. And this _would _be the rest of her life. She had ensured that the moment she had reached into her father's chest and ripped out his heart.

She would fix this. His sacrifice would not be in vain. She needed someone to share this repetitive life with. Someone to revel in her triumphs with and to help pass the endless time. Someone she could grow to trust, and someone who could grow to trust her. She needed a child.

* * *

Regina parked her Mercedes across from Mr. Gold's Pawnshop a few hours later and removed herself from the vehicle before losing the mock confidence she had recently re-instilled within herself. In a few long strides, she was across the street and pushing her way through the main door, a bell sounding overhead to signal her arrival. She noticed Gold almost instantly behind the counter.

"I need a child, Gold. And I need your help." She tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear somewhat nervously as she came to a stop on the opposite side of the counter. The pawnbroker raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Well, I'm flattered, but uninterested." His remark was quick and to the point. Regina resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but something within her stomach lurched. While she harbored no romantic feelings towards this man what so ever, that feeling of automatic rejection stung a bit. Masking the pesky feeling, she instead glared.

"Not like that." She tore her eyes away from the man briefly and shook her head. "I've spent all morning talking to adoption agencies. The wait lists are over two years long." She paused for a moment, brown eyes meeting nearly black ones once more, as a devious smirk overtook Regina's glossy lips. "But you, Gold... you know how to cut through red tape. If anyone can work through the system and find me a child, it's you."

"You wish to adopt?" There was amusement behind those words.

Regina glared again. "Well, don't look so surprised."

"Oh, I'm not." She eyed him carefully, trying to find the meaning behind those words. Sure she didn't _want _him to look surprised, but she had expected him to be. Although time didn't pass for the residents of Storybrooke as in other normal towns, his memories should tell him of a mayor who had kept to herself, never interacting with anyone for more than business, for as long as he could remember. But then again, it was Gold. And Regina had a sneaking suspicion that the sly man knew more than he was letting on. "I'm sure you'll make a... well, a mother of some sort."

Regina felt anger and agitation bubbling within her stomach. "Can you help me?" The words were sharp, her tone threatening. Anyone else would have cowered, but Gold didn't even flinch.

"I can, but a word of caution." He met her eyes seriously for a moment. "Ask yourself, is this something you're ready for?" His tone rose a bit towards the end, indicating curiosity.

"It's something I need." And that was the truth. She needed someone in her life before this curse could live up to her expectations.

Gold cocked his head slightly. "Well, that may not be the same thing." Regina squared her shoulders, but he continued before she could respond. "I'll get you a child."

Regina smirked triumphantly and turned to exit the pawn shop; however, Gold's voice drew her to a stop. She bit her bottom lip in irritation and turned halfway around to face him. "But whether or not that's helping you, remains to be seen. When you become a parent, you must put your child first." There was a pause and his voice lowered when he finished. "No matter what."

The brunette watched him carefully for a moment and then turned to resume her exit from the shop. She might be the evil queen, but she would put her child first. She would not repeat the many horrid atrocities of her mother. She would be the person her father had been to her for so many years - someone to confide in and someone to trust. At least, that is what she kept telling herself. It was something she truly wanted to believe.

* * *

Two weeks later and Gold had proven himself quite useful and capable. As he said he would do, he had located a possible child for Regina. While the former queen would have preferred a baby to rear from the ground up, none had been available or accessible. However, there was a teenager, a young girl of 15 years, that needed a good, stable home. While stable would not have been a word used to describe her back in the Enchanted Forest, in this world, she was the perfect candidate for a child.

For this reason, Regina had departed Storybrooke for the first time in many years and was on her way to Portland, Maine to meet her potential new daughter. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white from the un-needed force. It was impossible to hide that she was nervous. This child was essentially her lifeline, a tether that would hopefully keep her mind grounded enough to re-create Storybrooke in the image of a curse that _would _give her a happy ending.

Regina had chosen her usual attire for this trip. An elegant pants suit that hugged her curves appropriately and offered an air of power and responsibility. The pants and jacket were black, accentuated by a silk red blouse. Her nerves seemed to be getting the better of her as she tugged at the neckline of her blouse, perspiration lightly dotting her porcelain skin. She released the shirt to turn up the air conditioner, her other hand still occupied by the wheel of the Mercedes.

In Storybrooke, she controlled everyone and everything. But out here, in this world without magic, Regina was at the mercy of others. She hated this feeling of helplessness, which is the reason she rarely left her safety net.

While Gold had acquired this meeting for her, there was still no guarantee that the adoption agency would grant her custody of this girl. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed to make a good impression. And if she were to succeed in winning over the social worker handling this girl's case, then would come the task of winning over her potential daughter. That is initially why Regina had wanted, and still silently wished for, a baby. Someone so young wouldn't be able to see her flaws and reject or betray her like so many others had. A teenager... well, that was a different story. Even without a rough past, as Regina imagined this girl probably had, teenagers were always a hormonal challenge.

Regina scoffed at the memory of mistakenly causing nearly all of the light fixtures in her house to explode while coming into her magic as a teenager. The magical outburst had been the result of an argument with her mother. The result of letting her magic get out of control, or for simply using it at all, had been nearly a day of pain inflicted by her mother. The bones and muscles in Regina's body subconsciously ached as the memories plagued her mind. She inhaled a large gulp of air and then slowly let it back out, trying in vain to calm herself. At least in this world, magic would be a non-issue. And Regina would _never _punish her child in the ways Cora had punished her.

Nearly 3 hours after leaving Storybrooke, Regina parked in front of a towering building in the heart of Portland. Various windows accentuated the bleak exterior, revealing the many offices occupied by social workers inside. This is where she would meet Gold's contact.

_Get it together, Regina. It's just a social worker. You've dealt with much worse. _However, magic had always been her companion during previous confrontations, but she mentally refused to acknowledge that fact. After a few deep breaths and tweaking her appearance in the rearview mirror until she deemed herself presentable, Regina removed herself from the car and sauntered purposefully into the building.

A small desk sat just beyond the doors, an older woman perched behind it. She glanced up over her glasses, eyes clearly bored, as Regina approached. "How can I help you?"

The mayor paused behind the counter and busied herself by smoothing out imaginary wrinkles on her jacket, brown eyes roaming the drab room. "I'm here to see Pamela Jones." Regina's arms fell limply to her sides, her fingers beginning to drum against her legs as they always did when she felt uncomfortable or out of place.

"Down that hall, make a right, and then she's the first door on your left," the receptionist offered blandly, pointing with her thumb towards the hallway to their left.

Regina nodded once in thanks and followed the woman's directions, her heels clicking against the wooden floors and echoing throughout the empty hall. A door with the nameplate "Pamela Jones" greeted the former queen. She raised a hand to knock, but paused in mid-air, her eyebrows knit together in worry.

_Get it together. _Regina shifted her purse on her shoulder and stood up straighter, taking a deep breath as she tried again. This time, her knuckles met the door with stark determination.

A nervous lump formed in her throat as she heard a voice call out from inside. "Come in."

Doing as instructed, the petite brunette turned the doorknob and entered a rather small office. The woman behind the desk, Pamela, greeted her with a warm smile. "Please come in," she ushered again. "Take a seat. You must be Regina. Mr. Gold has told me a lot about you."

Regina nodded once and took a seat across from Pamela, her desk the only thing separating the two women. Her stomach lurched a bit at the thought of Gold telling this woman anything about her. "Good things, I hope," Regina replied tightly.

"Yes, of course. He spoke very highly of you." Pamela offered another smile that crept up her features and warmly met her eyes. She was young, probably in her lower thirties, and seemed genuinely happy for the new company. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a neat bun, a few highlights of lighter blond peeking through in certain places. Green eyes met Regina's, seeming to beckon the older woman towards a more comfortable state. She reached a hand out towards Regina, who hesitantly returned the gesture for a brief shake. "I'm Pamela Jones, although you probably already knew that." She chuckled as she brought her hand back, clasping it with the other upon her desk. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well," Regina offered, relaxing just a tad due to the other woman's kind nature. She allowed her eyes to roam the office once before gently getting to the point. "So, Mr. Gold tells me that you have a child available for adoption?"

Pamela's features softened, a sigh escaping her lips as she leaned back in her seat. "Ah, yes. Her name is Emma. Emma Swan."

Regina sat forward in her seat, very interested to hear more. She noted that Pamela's shoulders and dropped, her green eyes losing a bit of their initial warmth. They seemed to convey another emotion now. Sadness, perhaps? "Emma..." Regina tested slowly, feeling the name on her own lips. "What a beautiful name."

"It is. And she's a beautiful young girl, as well," Pamela offered confidently. "But, her past hasn't been an easy one. You should know that before we pursue this interview further."

Regina tilted her head slightly, but her brown hues conveyed understanding. If only this woman knew what her own past held, secrets locked deeply away behind subconscious walls she had erected long ago. "Well, she is in the foster care system. I imagine most of the children you work with have a difficult past," Regina responded pointedly.

Pamela nodded in agreement and moved to open a file that had been previously untouched on the desk. She flipped through a few pages before pausing to scan over a certain paragraph. "So, you're the mayor of a town called Storybrooke? I don't believe I've ever heard of it," the social worker queried.

"Yes, it's a very small town. We don't have many visitors. The locals mostly keep to themselves," Regina answered honestly. "But, it is a safe town. We haven't had any crime in years. I've worked with the local sheriff to ensure that," she added.

Pamela nodded, thoughtful as her eyes continued to scan the page. "You have an impeccable record. No previous incidences with the law, you graduated at the top of your class… do you have any family in Storybrooke?" The question was innocent enough, but Regina's heart clenched roughly.

The image of Cora lurched forward from the depths of her mind. And then her father's kind face, contorted suddenly into fear and pain as Regina ripped his heart from his chest. Regina's hands began to tremble upon the desk, and she quickly jerked them away from Pamela's view and hid them in her lap. "No, no family," Regina tried, her voice deep and scratchy from the sudden lump that had enveloped her throat. "I have no siblings. My mother is not in the picture and my father…" she paused, trying to regain control over herself. "He passed away recently."

Pamela watched Regina with concerned eyes, sympathy evident in her expression. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

Regina nodded once, her eyes never leaving the desk. She didn't trust herself not to say something she'd later regret, so she clamped her lips shut. She didn't want sympathy from anyone. She didn't deserve it.

Pamela seemed to understand Regina's sudden silence and moved forward with the conversation. "It is obvious that you're a perfect candidate to adopt," she began softly, her words encouraging. "But, I like to remind all of my potential parents… this is a big responsibility. A life-changing one. You're sure you're ready for this?" Her green orbs were sincere, beckoning Regina to meet her gaze once more.

She sighed heavily, recalling the similar words that had left Gold's mouth two weeks ago. "I need this," she tried hesitantly, silently begging her emotions not to betray her. Brown eyes met green urgently as she continued. "I want to share my life with someone. I want to give a child the things…" Regina caught herself abruptly.

She was about to say …_the things she didn't have_, but this woman knew nothing of her true history. She only knew of the past Regina had created for herself through the curse. A past that most other people would envy.

"… the opportunities I was allowed," she finally finished, her voice gravely. "I want to give this child, Emma, a fresh start."

Pamela seemed to respect Regina's answer and nodded approvingly, a small smile on her lips. "A fresh start is what Emma needs. You should know, she's been returned to the foster system a few times. It's sad really. Families just seem to give up on her and in return, she has given up on most people." Pamela's shoulders fell again, a sadness in her eyes.

"You care about her, don't you?" Regina questioned.

The blonde nodded. "It's hard not to when I've been in charge of her case for her entire life." Pamela gently closed the folder she had been holding open and ran a hand over her already smooth hair. "She's been in the foster care system since she was a baby, found on the side of the road at only a day old. She's been in and out of homes since then. Her first family was the Swan's, hence her last name." Pamela stopped suddenly. "But, you don't need to hear all the details. I want you to form your own opinion of Emma."

A frown had overcome Regina's features, a hint of anger in her eyes. She wondered how any parent could just leave their child on the side of the road. Even Cora, as evil and manipulative as she was, hadn't abandoned her own daughter. No wonder Emma had a tough time trusting people. How would a child be expected to fit in and behave accordingly when she didn't have the slightest inclination of who she was?

"I want to meet her," Regina said abruptly, determination in her tone.

Pamela smiled, something akin to hope dancing behind her gaze. "Well then, why don't we go pay her a visit?" The young blonde stood, revealing a grey pants suit similar to Regina's own attire.

Regina mimicked the movement, her body suddenly vibrating with anticipation. "I would like that."

* * *

It had only taken 20 minutes to drive to Emma's foster home. Regina climbed from the passenger seat of Pamela's SUV and arched her back, letting her thumbs briefly massage the tight muscles. Her eyes roamed over the brick building before her. It wasn't large, just two stories, with a few windows blocked by closed curtains. A couple of child-sized bikes were chained to a bike rack just outside the home.

Regina followed Pamela up the concrete steps leading to the front door and waited anxiously while the younger blonde knocked a few times. She noticed her fingers were drumming against her thighs again and she stopped the movement, laying her palms flat against her legs.

It didn't take long for an older woman to answer the door, a toddler sitting on her hip, sucking on his thumb quietly. Wide hazel eyes watched the two women for a brief moment before he shyly hid his face in the crook of the woman's neck.

Regina focused her attention on who she assumed was the foster mom. The woman had short, thin brunette hair that stopped just below her ears in unruly curls. The thinning was probably due to age, as she looked to be nearing her sixties and had wrinkles along her face, neck, and arms to accompany that notion. Her eyes were a dim shade of brown, accentuated by tired shadows beneath her orbs. She offered a small, forced smile to the two woman. Exhaustion was evident in her stance. "Pam," she greeted the social worker. Her eyes then strayed to Regina.

"This is Regina," Pamela explained. "Regina, this is Amelia, Emma's temporary foster mom."

"Ah, so you're the one interested in Emma…" the older woman drawled, motioning for them to follow her inside. "Come in, excuse the mess. I just put the younger kids down for their naps. I need to do the same for this little one," Amelia explained, her eyes falling on the little boy in her arms. "Pam, I trust you can find Emma?"

Pamela nodded as Amelia turned and ambled down the hallway. "Follow me. Emma has a room upstairs." Regina ascended the stairs with ease, frowning at the bare walls throughout the building. There were no photos, drawings, or paintings anywhere to be seen. Other than aged furniture and toys scattered throughout the place, there were no personal touches to this building. It was simply a foster house, not a home.

"All of the older kids share rooms on this floor," Pamela explained as they reached the second floor. Her dress shoes and Regina's heels scuffed quietly against the old carpet. The sound of young voices invaded the brunette's ears and she found herself glancing in the rooms that they passed, witnessing older children of various ages either chatting or sprawled out in their beds. Some met Regina's eyes for a few seconds before abruptly averting their gazes, as if they knew instantly that the new woman wasn't there for them. These children had no hope, and it tore at the mayor's darkened heart.

"Emma should be in here." Pamela's voice broke Regina from her thoughts as the woman knocked softly on a closed bedroom door. A knot formed in the former queen's stomach, her breathe suddenly caught in her throat. This was it. She was about to meet her future daughter.

When the door remained closed, Regina's eyebrows knit together in worry. "She's probably listening to music and doesn't hear us," Pamela explained, moving to gently crack the door open. She peeked her head inside, green orbs checking the bedroom. "Emma? Ah, there you are."

The young woman opened the door completely and stepped inside, allowing Regina to get a full view of the room. She noticed a teenage girl with long, blonde hair sprawled out on a small bed in the corner, her ears covered by a set of headphones. She was bobbing her head to the beat of the song she was listening to, a few stray bangs following each movement. Her skin was fairly pale, obviously from lack of sunlight exposure, but very smooth in texture. She didn't have the usual acne that enjoyed plaguing teenagers around this age.

"Earth to Emma," Pamela chuckled, waving her hand to get the teenager's attention. Blue-green eyes widened in recognition and Emma removed her headphone, smiling.

"Pam!" There seemed to be genuine joy behind that word as Emma stood to hug the older blonde. Regina noted that Emma was tall and lean, only an inch or two shorter than herself. She pulled away from the hug as her eyes found Regina, suddenly becoming wary. "Who's that?"

Regina's feet remained frozen to their current spot. She offered a small smile, but couldn't find the strength or courage to move. Pamela seemed to notice this and answered Emma's question.

"This is Regina. She's a kind woman who wants to get to know you," Pamela explained gently, her eyes moving between the two.

It was bluntly obvious that Emma was skeptical, and she forcefully shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans. Regina knew that this girl, as young as she was, had her own internal demons that she battled with. Emma had erected her own walls that would not easily come down. "I'm too old. No one wants to get to know me," she bit out between clenched teeth. "The younger kids, downstairs, are better."

Regina found herself shaking her head gently. "No one is the same, Emma. Don't ever think that someone is better than you." The words had tumbled from her lips almost instinctively. There had been no prior thought to them.

"Yeah well, it has been an obvious fact my whole life," Emma snapped harshly.

"Emma…" Pamela began to warn, but Regina held up a hand to stop her.

"No, its okay, really," Regina cut in. She turned her attention back to Emma and tried offering the teenager an uncertain smile. Emma only lowered her gaze to the carpet. "Why don't we try to move forward, then? Let's put a little twist on things. Facts are boring."

Emma shifted uneasily, remaining quiet. The next few moments of silence were almost deafening and made Regina want to retreat from the room, but she forced those thoughts aside and remained anchored to the spot. Finally, Emma lifted her head and glanced with wary eyes between the two women.

"I don't do well in a family setting. Never have. I'm better on my own," she murmured quietly, just above a whisper. Regina could sense an array of pent up emotions behind those words – hurt, sadness, distrust, betrayal, and the most obvious… belief.

"Well," Regina began, gaining confidence in her voice. "Then it's your lucky day, Emma." She finally found use of her legs again and inched forward a few steps. "There's no family setting. It's just me. And I used to feel the same way as you, that I would be better off on my own." She conveyed the truth of those words through her eyes, willing Emma to believe her. "But I was wrong. Over the last few years, I've come to the realization that everyone needs _someone._"

Emma was watching her with an intent gaze, trying to convince herself whether she should trust this woman… whether she should put any faith behind her words. She had tried to trust people so many times already, and each time she ended up with another crack in her heart.

"Maybe we could help each other," Regina pushed forward. "I'm not asking you to accept me as your mother. I'm not even sure if I'm truly ready for the responsibility that comes with that title. I'm just asking that you give me a chance. Let me try and convince you that not everyone is the same. If you'll give me that chance, I can return the favor with a promise. I won't ever give up on you." And Regina meant those words with every fiber of her being. Too many people had given up on her time and time again. The result had been the evil version of herself clawing to the surface, tugged along by rage and betrayal, darkening her soul little by little until all innocence and good had been lost in a void of evil. She would not let the same thing happen to Emma.

Emma seemed to be contemplating Regina's words, searching the mayor's face intently for any trace of a lie. Finding none, she dropped her gaze to the floor again and shrugged her shoulders, shoving her hands deeper within her pockets. "I guess I can go with you," she uttered meekly, shifting her stance from one leg to the other. "But I'm not making any promises. Adults have always made me promises, but they have never followed through on them…" she trailed off.

Regina stepped forward again, closing the distance between them until there was only about a foot left. Awkwardly… timidly… Regina extended a hand and placed it on Emma's shoulder, squeezing gently. She could feel the young girl tense, but to Regina's relief, she didn't pull away.

"Hey, look at me," Regina urged calmly. It took a moment, but Emma reluctantly raised her head to meet the mayor's eyes, blue-greens meeting dark browns. "Let's change that."

Emma eyes seemed a bit glossy, as if she was holding back un-shed tears. She nodded once and the corners of her lips raised ever so slightly at the corners. "Okay."

And for the first time in a long time, Regina felt something in the pit of her stomach that crept upwards and seized her rapidly beating heart. A feeling that she wanted to cling to with unrecognizable ferocity, her hand responding by tightening its grip every so slightly on Emma's shoulder. Hope. Regina finally felt hope.

* * *

**Leave a review and let me know what you think! ******This was my first attempt at writing Regina and I had a fun time rising to the challenge. I'm sure it is not perfect by any means, but I tried my best. **If there's enough interest, I think this would be an exciting story to continue. I have a lot of ideas running through my head. **

**Also, I don't have a beta reader, so if there are any grammar mistakes, I do apologize. I try to read and re-read before publishing, but I feel like it is almost impossible to find all of the little mistakes.**

**Until the next update...**

**-Newfi**


	2. Welcome To Storybrooke

**Chapter 2:** **Welcome To Storybrooke**

It was nearing 8pm as Regina's Mercedes rapidly approached Storybrooke's town line. Emma sat silently in the backseat, enveloped in her music as her eyes scanned a seemingly endless blur of forest. The young blonde made a mental note that it had been almost an hour since they had passed another vehicle. This town must really be in the middle of nowhere.

As the two women passed the **Welcome to Storybrooke **sign, an abnormal sensation came over Emma. She felt pressure in her head, something resembling a sinus headache, but then the pressure traveled down to her chest, abdomen, and finally dissipated through her hands and feet. She eyed her palms as the feeling all but vanished from her body, eyebrows knit together in wonder.

Over the sound of her music and through her clouded thoughts, Emma heard what sounded like a muffled version of her name. She raised her gaze to meet a concerned Regina's eyes in the rear view mirror. She removed her headphones in a hurry once she realized the older woman had been trying to get her attention. "I'm sorry," she stuttered.

"It's okay," Regina assured her, her eyes shifting between Emma and the road ahead. "I was just asking if you were okay? You looked troubled."

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine," she responded with a nod of her head, blonde locks bouncing with the movement. "Just, um.. taking in the scenery." Emma peered down at her lap, uncomfortable with someone else's concern being focused on her.

Regina seemed to be contemplating pushing the subject further, but thought better of it and returned her full attention to the road. After a few more minutes of driving in silence, the brunette spoke up again. "Are you hungry?"

As if on cue, Emma's stomach rumbled loudly in response. She placed a hand over her flat abdomen, flushed cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "I guess I am," she uttered meekly.

Regina couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, well, seeing as it is late and it would take me some time to prepare a meal, why don't we stop in town for some food?"

Emma nodded and continued to watch the unfamiliar town go by as Regina turned towards Granny's Diner. Within a few minutes, they were parked just outside the restaurant. Emma carefully climbed out of the back seat and stuffed her hands into her jacket pockets.

Regina appeared at her side and tilted her head with a gentle smile, urging her forward. Emma took notice of the charming outdoor seating area with warm lights dotting the fence and rooftop. "This is the best place to eat in town," Regina offered as she ascended the steps and held the door open for Emma.

"Thanks." She found herself casually scanning the small space, growing a tad uncomfortable when the few patrons in the diner began to stare. She dropped her gaze to the floor and followed Regina to a booth in the corner.

A young woman greeted them almost as soon as they sat down, offering Emma what could only be described as a wolfish smile. Large, bright white teeth were framed with a blunt shade of red lipstick. The woman's features were over-accentuated with perhaps a bit too much makeup, but she was gorgeous nonetheless, with thick brunette hair that stopped just above the small of her back. Her smile seemed to lessen when she noticed who Emma was sitting with.

"Madam Mayor, what a surprise." The comment seemed innocent enough to Emma, but Regina stiffened visibly and narrowed her eyes at the waitress.

"Why is it a surprise? We've come here to eat. This is a diner, is it not?" the mayor snapped in an authoritative tone. The waitress seemed to visibly shrink under Regina's glare and Emma found herself shifting in the booth uncomfortably.

"Yes, of course," the woman added, passing each of them a menu. She turned back towards Emma to focus on the new arrival, that large smile re-appearing. "Hello there. I'm Ruby. Who might you be?" She stepped back from the table, running two manicured hands over her apron. Beneath the work attire, Ruby adorned a rather small pair of shorts and a tight-fitted tank.

"I'm Emma." Her gaze shifted uncertainly between Regina and Ruby, feeling the obvious tension that radiated around the booth. Thankfully, an older woman yelled at Ruby from behind the bar, urging her rather harshly to get back to work. Ruby rolled her eyes so high that her irises nearly disappeared in her head, and Emma had to suppress the urge to laugh. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order," she sighed, before sauntering back towards the bar to collect another customer's food.

Emma turned her attention back to Regina and the menu before her. "You don't come here often?" she questioned curiously.

Regina shifted in the booth, crossing her legs, before she opened her menu and answered. "I don't have time to go out much." The truth was, she did have the time, but chose not to. The people in this town were not her friends. They were her prisoners and she would rather associate with them as infrequently as possible.

Emma simply nodded and dropped the subject. An awkward silence fell over the two of them as they studied their menus, and Emma found herself wanting to break the tension. "So, um... what's good here?" she tried unsurely.

"What is good to you, probably wouldn't be good to me," Regina confessed with a sigh, a few lines appearing on her forehead as she studied the menu further. "I keep myself on a bit of a strict diet. Salads and such..." she trailed off.

Emma wrinkled her nose at the mention of lettuce. "You like that rabbit food?" The words tumbled from her mouth before she really knew what she was saying, and she quickly clamped her lips shut, averting her eyes to the table. "I'm sorry, that was rude. I shouldn't have said that."

It was true that Regina had been taken aback by the statement, as no one dared speak to her that way in this town, but any anger quickly dissipated at the site of Emma's nervous and regretful expression. She had shrunken back in the booth, hands folded tightly in her lap beneath the table, muscles coiled and tense as if she expected some form of physical punishment. The former queen felt the sudden urge to reach out and comfort Emma, but quickly thought better of it. Neither of them where anywhere near ready for that form of physical contact. "Hey, no worries," she urged gently. "I guess I do like rabbit food."

Emma lifted her eyes to see Regina smiling at her, the gesture reaching her brown orbs. She thought the mayor had a beautiful smile, and she secretly wondered why the woman seemed so withdrawn from others, at least in the very short time they had known one another. She allowed herself to giggle lightly before scanning the menu again.

Ruby re-appeared to take their orders a few minutes later and Regina's stoic, hard expression returned for the course of the meal. Emma ended up trying the grilled cheese sandwich with a side of onion rings, while Regina munched on a grilled chicken salad. The mayor took small, dainty bites of her meal, arching a sculpted eyebrow at Emma who nearly inhaled her food. She also took note of Emma's elbows perched on the table, but chose to ignore the bad habit that Cora would have undoubtedly smote her for.

"This is the best grilled cheese I've ever had," Emma bragged as she swallowed a large gulp of the sandwich.

"I'm surprised you can even taste it, as fast as you're eating," Regina noted, amusement in her tone. She made sure to keep the statement light so as not to force Emma's walls up.

The teenager shrugged her shoulders and popped the last bite of grilled cheese into her mouth. "It's a habit from the foster system," she explained quietly. "You either eat fast, or the older kids take your food."

Regina frowned at the statement. "And where were the adults when the other kids were taking your food?" she questioned, her tone tense.

"Most foster homes have a lot of kids and only one or two adults. They can't keep up with everyone," Emma explained as she finished the last of her onion rings as well. "It's no big deal. You just learn to eat fast." Regina sensed a finality to her words and decided against pushing the subject further.

"Well, just know that here, no one will take your meals. You can have as much food as you'd like," Regina assured her. She was surprised when the younger girl snorted and leaned back in her seat.

"You may regret telling me that. This..." Emma began, placing her hands over her stomach, "is a bottomless pit."

Regina found herself laughing at the statement. It was the first time she had truly laughed in years, and the sound carried throughout the diner. A few people glanced in their direction, surprise evident in their faces, but Regina only had eyes for the teenager sitting across from her.

"Well, that is probably a good thing. I've had plenty of time to dabble with cooking and there are a few new recipes I've been meaning to try out. Perhaps you could be my taste tester?" Regina questioned.

Emma nodded in excitement. "I can definitely do that."

* * *

Emma adjusted her travel bag over her shoulder and drug her second suitcase along the brick walkway leading up to Regina's home. Hey eyes were wide, mouth a-gap in shock as she took in the mansion. "This... is where you live?" Emma gaped.

Regina glanced over her shoulder after unlocking the front door and nodded. "Yes. It's your home now, as well. At least, if you choose to stay."

Emma's sneakers seemed glued in place as she continued to gawk at the home. "Well, don't just stand there, come in," Regina chuckled, one corner of her lips rising.

She flipped the lights on and closed the door behind Emma once she finally made her way inside. "And you're sure it is just you that lives here?" Emma asked sarcastically, turning to face Regina as she steadied her suitcase. "Because this place is massive."

Regina shrugged. "I like my space," was her only explanation. She moved through the archway that opened into a spacious living area to the left of the front door. "This is the living room," the mayor explained as she flipped on the light. "There's a TV, but I don't watch it often."

Emma left her bags in the entryway and followed Regina through the home. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the immense flat screen television that enveloped much of the far wall. She had never seen anything so big in her life. A rather long, white leather sofa sat facing the flat screen, accompanied by a matching ottoman. A recliner rested off to the right of the sofa and finished off the furniture set. There was also a glass coffee table with a set of coasters stacked neatly in the middle. It was clear to Emma that this room never got used. A modern fireplace was built into the far right wall, two glass sliding doors revealing a pile of untouched firewood.

"Across from the living area is my office. If you can't find me, I'm usually in there," Regina continued, moving back across the entryway to open a pair of white doors. No one had actually been invited into her home before Emma, aside from the occasional visit from Graham when she summoned him to manage her physical needs. Emma nodded and glanced over the room before Regina closed the doors again. "I'm going to ask that you refrain from going into the office when I'm not here. There are many important documents that I can't risk getting lost."

Emma inclined her head in understanding and continued to follow Regina. She noticed how the mayor carried herself - tall, shoulders back, and determined. She gave off an air of authority that most likely had become ingrained into her from her job.

They passed through a short hallway that gave way to a modern kitchen. "This room is pretty self-explanatory." Regina moved to open the fridge and frowned at the lack of contents. "I'm afraid I don't have much here at the moment. We can go grocery shopping tomorrow," she offered as she turned back to face Emma. Tomorrow would be Sunday, a perfect calm day to give her a tour of the town.

Emma yawned then, raising a hand up to cover her mouth. The former queen had forgotten how late it was. "I'm sorry, honey. You must be exhausted after today." Regina smiled gently and urged her back towards the entryway. "All of the bedrooms are upstairs."

Regina took the liberty of grabbing Emma's suitcase, leaving only the travel bag for the teenager to haul up the staircase. She heard a tired thank you come from Emma as they ascended the stairs.

"There's a guest bedroom to the right here, and your bedroom is at the end of the hallway."

Emma followed the brunette into the far room and smiled widely at the size and style of it. There was a bed off to the right covered neatly in a white comforter folded back to reveal grey sheets. Decorative white, grey, and black pillows lined an iron headboard. A black dresser and bedside table adorned the room and were accompanied by a black storage container at the foot of the bed, disguised as a cushioned bench. A large black and white patterned rug with bits of grey in certain places covered most of the room's polished wooden floor.

"Wow, this is amazing," Emma gushed, moving deeper into the room to deposit her bag on the bed. She turned back around to face her company, an enormous smile on her face. "Thank you so much, Regina."

"You're welcome," she responded with a dip of her chin. "Feel free to do whatever you'd like with the room. Make it your own," she gestured with a wave of her hand. It was times like these when she wished she had her magic and could just bring all of Emma's wishes into existence with a flip of her wrist.

"Well, I know you're tired, so I'll leave you alone to get settled. If you need anything, I'm right down the hall." Emma followed Regina's finger to a door that mimicked her own at the other end of the hallway. Regina stood there in the doorway for a moment, unsure of exactly how to end the conversation. What did mothers do exactly? Should she hug Emma? Offer her shoulders a small, reassuring squeeze? She honestly had no idea, but she was pretty positive that Emma wasn't one for physical contact. For that matter, neither was she... at least, not yet. Emma seemed to be feeling the same way and finally spoke up.

"Really, Regina, thank you. This is..." she paused, gesturing around the room, "...more than I deserve."

Regina frowned at the statement and shook her head vigorously. Again, she was tempted with the need to reach out and comfort Emma, but she kept herself anchored in the doorway. "I don't ever want to hear you say that you don't deserve this, alright?" she urged, her eyes begging Emma to understand.

Emma dropped her gaze to the floor and aimlessly shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "You don't know some of the things I've done..." she trailed off quietly, her tone filled with regret.

"And you don't know my past either," Regina urged. "What is done, is done. We can't rewind time, we can only try and go forward. As long as you're willing to try, you deserve everything this world had to offer, and more, Emma." Regina couldn't remember the last time she had spoken with so much passion behind her words, but Emma seemed to be soaking them in. "Okay?" she older woman questioned with gentle urgency.

Emma finally nodded, a spark of determination in her unique eyes. "Okay."

Regina nodded once and moved to close the door. "Sleep well, Emma. I'll see you in the morning?" Her tone rose at the end just a tad, indicating it was a question rather than a statement. Regina knew from an earlier conversation with Pamela that Emma had a tendency to panic and bolt during her first night in a new home. The truth was that the mayor probably wouldn't get much sleep tonight, but she hoped Emma felt comfortable enough to give their deal a chance.

The teenager moved to sit down on the bed and met Regina's eyes for a brief serious moment, a knowledge beyond her age revealing itself. "Yes, I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Emma bolted upright in bed, her breathing panicked as her chest rose up and down sporadically. Beads of perspiration soaked her hairline and dampened the collar of her over-sized sleep shirt. Wild eyes scanned the dark room in an erratic manner before Emma finally started to remember where she was... in Storybrooke, Maine, inside the mansion of the town's mayor who, for some insane reason, had chosen to adopt her.

She tried to steady her breathing by counting to 10 and taking a series of deep, long breaths. She glanced over towards the clock on the bedside table and let out a frustrated sigh, letting her head fall as sloppy blonde tendrils framed her face. 3am.

Emma had finally gotten settled enough to attempt sleep around 11pm, but that hadn't meant her body would cooperate. She had shifted restlessly under the covers for nearly 3 hours before finally falling into an uneasy slumber. That's when her nightmare had begun.

She had only been a baby, maybe a day old? Two? She wasn't sure, but she could remember the details of the dream vividly. She remembered feeling as if she were falling endlessly into a black abyss. She couldn't see or hear anything, but the panicked feeling within her stomach had revealed her terrifying situation.

But as quick as the free fall had begun, it ended. She was suddenly in the middle of a dark road, swaddled tightly in a baby blanket that had _Emma_ engraved in the light pink fabric. She couldn't hear anything but the sounds of nocturnal insects and trees swaying in the wind. Not knowing what else to do, her infant-self had begun to cry, hoping that someone... anyone would come along to make this horrifying situation go away. That's when headlights had appeared in the distance, growing closer and closer as Emma's cries intensified. She was helpless and too young to move out of the way. The headlights were suddenly upon her until the lights were the only thing she could see, the screeching of tires accompanying her cries.

And that's when Emma had woken up, scared and confused. She pushed the comforter away and moved to get out of the bed. She had been having this nightmare for most of her life. She knew it couldn't be a memory, because if she had been hit by a car as a baby, well... she'd be dead. But she had been abandoned on the side of the road as an infant, so perhaps it was just her subconscious twisting the knowledge around. Either way, the young blonde knew she wouldn't be sleeping again anytime soon.

She tiredly made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs to get a glass of water. Her throat was unusually dry and scratchy. She was surprised to find the light in the kitchen already on. Squinting her eyes to give her pupils a chance to adjust, Emma shuffled into the room and found Regina sipping a mug of tea at the island. She had a silk, burgundy robe wrapped snugly around her thin frame. Tired brown eyes fell on Emma as she entered.

"Couldn't sleep?" Regina queried. Emma responded with a shake of her head and sat down on the stool beside Regina, running her hands over her face. "Me either." Regina took another sip of her tea and sighed. "Do you want some tea?"

The blonde glanced over her hands, the sudden position of her eyebrows and lines on her forehead revealing that she was wrinkling her nose. "No thanks. Tea isn't my thing," she yawned, her voice heavy from exhaustion. "Do you have any hot chocolate?" she suddenly asked, her eyes lighting up a bit at the thought of the yummy drink.

"That..." Regina began, moving to search through some nearby cabinets, "is a good question." On occasion, Regina would indulge in the unhealthy beverage, so perhaps she had some stored away somewhere... "Ah-ha! Yes, here is some." Regina withdrew a box of hot chocolate from one of the shelves.

Emma moved to stand, most likely to make the beverage herself, but Regina dismissed her with a wave of her hand. "I'll make it for you."

"Oh, okay. Well, thank you." Emma sat back down sloppily on the stool and adjusted the collar of her t-shirt so that it was centered again. She watched Regina prepare the hot drink with eager anticipation. "Um, do you happen to have any whipped cream? And cinnamon?"

"Cinnamon?" Regina asked, surprise evident in her tone. She definitely had some in her spice cabinet, but had never seen it used on hot chocolate before.

Emma shrugged sheepishly. "I've always liked the taste."

"Hm." The mayor nodded and deposited a fair amount of whipped cream atop the beverage, completed with a layer of cinnamon on top. Emma grasped the mug eagerly, enjoying the warmth on her palms. "Careful, it's..." she winced as Emma took a large gulp. "...hot."

"It's good when it burns just a bit," Emma insisted with a small laugh. Regina arched a brow and rolled her eyes, moving to grab her own tea.

"Well, don't get used to whipped cream this late at night," she muttered. "Or neither of us will ever sleep."

Emma snorted and took another sip of the liquid chocolate, licking the cream and cinnamon from her lips. "Since neither of us can sleep, do you want to watch some TV?" she questioned her company.

Regina let her gaze shift towards the living area and then back towards Emma. Having company in the house was such a change. She never even paid mind to the flat device mounted on the wall. But, the idea that someone wanted to spend time with her, even to just watch television, caused her hardened heart to soften a little. "Sure."

The teen hopped off her stool and Regina followed her into the living area, delicately sitting down on the sofa. "What kind of shows do you like?" Emma questioned while positioning a coaster to set her drink on. She then moved to grab the remote and take a seat on the other side of the couch, tucking her legs beneath her.

"Like I mentioned before, I don't normally watch television," Regina repeated, cupping her mug of tea as she brought it to her lips for another small sip. "You choose. Just no gore, violence, or foul language," she warned. It was hilarious honestly, for the evil queen who had committed atrocities beyond the wildest imagination, to request such things. Emma nodded in understanding, oblivious to Regina's thoughts, and flipped the TV on.

As soon as the surround sound kicked in and the TV came to life, insanely loud voices suddenly enveloped the spacious room, echoing from the speakers hung in each corner. She hadn't turned this TV on since the day it had been installed, and apparently the workers had left it on full volume. Both women nearly jumped out of their skin, Regina only just avoiding a mess of tea across her robe. She steadied her hands, willing the liquid to stop sloshing.

Emma had jumped up off the couch in a panicked attempt at lowering the volume, holding the remote right near the flat screen as she pressed the down arrow, as if the distance would make the volume lessen faster. Finally, as the voices of news castors lowered to a tolerable level, Emma let out a breath she had unconsciously been holding and peeked over her shoulder at Regina.

The woman looked absolutely stunned and was trying to catch her breath, one hand holding her tea and the other resting upon her breasts. The two stared at each other for a long moment, and then Emma broke into a fit of loud laughter, bringing her hands down to cup her stomach. "Your face is _priceless_!" Emma gasped between laughs. Regina tried to keep herself composed, but lost that battle rather abruptly and began laughing herself. She reached forward to set her tea down before spilling it on herself.

"_My face_? What about you?" Regina countered, taking a few deep breaths as she tried to reign the laughter in.

"You're the one that left the TV on loud enough to shake the walls!" Emma rebuked. She slowly made her way back towards the couch through fits of laughter and plopped down on the cushion beside Regina.

As the laughter slowly died down and both women took a few deep breaths, a sudden air of uncertainty became apparent. Regina collected herself and sat up straight, unsure of what had just happened. She had never let herself get so carried away before... not since she was a young child. Emma was still relaxed beside her, but seemed to notice Regina's sudden tenseness. However, she seemed to misinterpret it as anger. "I'm sorry..." Emma began.

Regina quickly cut her off. "No, no. Don't be sorry. It's not your fault," she promised. "It's just, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Me either," Emma admitted. She reached forward the grab her cocoa again and take a large sip. She turned her attention back to the television and began flipping through the channels. "There has to be some type of comedy on," she murmured more-so to herself than to Regina. She finally settled on a channel playing an _I Love Lucy _marathon.

Both women settled into the cushions of the sofa and became silently engrossed in the show. About two episodes in, Regina felt a sudden heaviness on her shoulder. Emma had finally, somehow even after the whipped cream, fallen asleep. Scared of waking her, Regina felt anchored to the couch. This caused a bit of an uneasy feeling in her stomach, as she didn't like being stuck and confined. Slowly, carefully, Regina moved to stand and replaced her shoulder with a fluffy pillow. Emma stirred only momentarily and then fell back into a comfortable slumber.

Regina watched her for a moment, enjoying how innocent and care-free the teenager looked while asleep, and then moved to turn the TV off and drape a warm blanket over Emma's body. Regina wasn't sure if Emma had finally felt comfortable enough to get some rest, or if her body had merely succumbed to exhaustion, but either way, she was elated that the teenager was finally getting some restful sleep.


	3. A New Promise

**Newfi here with another update! So, I know I have been updating a chapter per day so far, but I should go ahead and mention that I won't be able to keep this speed up. I do hope to do a chapter per week as this story progresses, and maybe more depending on my schedule. But for now, I'm really enjoying having the time to write this for fun.**

**I also wanted to say, thank you for the nice reviews so far. I was afraid that with _Once Upon A Time _being over, not many people would be around to read new fanfictions about the show. I'm glad to see a few people are enjoying this story, and as long as it keeps some interest, I'll do my best to keep updating. **

**SpurBoy: I just wanted to offer answers for some of your speculations. I plan on having the curse broken before Emma turns 28****, meaning the characters will regain their memories earlier than planned. I haven't decided exactly what the timeline for this story will be, but I do plan on it spanning up until and past Emma's 28th birthday. And I plan on following (at least for now) the events that took place in the show, with certain changes of course to fit this storyline. I don't plan on having romantic SwanQueen in this story. I have nothing against the pairing, but feel like it would be too weird after going through many years of developing a mother/daughter relationship. I hope that answers some of your questions. I don't want to spoil too much!**

**So, enough blabbering from me. Please enjoy chapter 3 and let me know what you think.**

**Chapter**** 3:** **A New Promise**

Emma was awoken the next morning by her bladder screaming at her for relief. Hot chocolate, or really any late-night beverage, tended to cause this reaction. Recalling that she had seen a bathroom neighboring her bedroom last night, Emma ascended the stairs at nearly a run and took care of business.

A small, decorative window was built into the far wall of the shower, revealing that it was still early. Through the glass, she could see blended shades of reds and oranges coloring the sky with the company of a rising sun. How many hours of sleep had she gotten last night? Three perhaps? Regardless of the correct number, Emma could feel that it hadn't been enough.

As soon as the adrenaline wore off that had woken her from her slumber, sudden fatigue took its place. Emma stood wearily and moved to wash her hands, also splashing a handful of freezing water on her face. The temperature momentarily shocked her senses awake. Two grey hand towels were hanging from a rack beside the sink, so she retrieved one to pat her skin dry. Once she had returned the towel to its original place, she observed her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Two drowsy eyes framed by light shadows stared back at her, her usual bright irises dimmed to an odd mixture of dark green and grey.

"Yikes," Emma muttered under her breath as she also took in her hair, which resembled something close to a sloppy bird's nest. She ran her fingers through the tangled strands and threw them up into a messy bun when she noticed a hair tie on her wrist.

Memories of last night, and the reason she had woken up on the couch, suddenly seeped back into her mind. She remember watching _I Love Lucy_ with Regina for a couple of hours before, apparently, falling asleep. A small smile began to spread across her face as she recalled the television scaring both of the women half to death. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed that hard.

_Emma..._ An internal voice seemed to be warning the teenager, bringing her back to reality. Her smile vanished before she sighed deeply and ran two hands over her face. "Get it together, Swan..." she nearly groaned, her hands falling back to her sides. She shouldn't have opened herself up so much last night. She had allowed a desperate need for happiness and comfort to weaken her walls. "You don't even know this woman," she chastised herself further.

She couldn't afford to be so comfortable around the older woman... not yet. She had tried being open from the beginning with adults in the past and it had always back fired on her. She was always sent back to the foster system... always seemingly dispensable. She figured when Regina realized a teenager was too much work, especially for a busy woman such as herself, she'd just send her away like all of the others. And Emma didn't think there was room in her heart for another crack. Getting her hopes up and then facing another betrayal would only cause the fragile organ to shatter. She would give Regina a chance, she had promised the woman that much, but she wouldn't get her hopes up.

The smell of eggs and bacon drifting into the bathroom broke her out of her thoughts, and her stomach rumbled with excitement. Food... _that _was something she could always count on.

The delicious smell beckoned her forward as she descended the stairs and made her way into the kitchen. Regina stood in front of the stove, gripping the handle of a pan with bacon, the meat popping and sizzling against the hot surface. Emma's mouth began to water.

Regina must have heard her enter, because she turned half-way around and smiled. "Good morning, Emma."

"Good morning!" Emma returned with an enthusiastic smile, but she brusquely forced her lips back into a straight line. Hadn't she _just _reprimanded herself for being too warm and receptive to Regina last night? Damn food, and her inability to think logically in the presence of it.

"Is everything alright?" The older woman had noticed Emma's sudden change in behavior seemed concerned. _Nice, Swan. Real smooth._

"Yeah, of course. Fine," Emma brushed off, taking a seat at one of the island stools. She shifted her gaze to the pan of bacon and attempted to change the subject. "That smells really good."

"Oh, good. I was hoping you liked eggs and bacon. Since you referred to your stomach as a bottomless pit last night, I assumed that meant you weren't a picky eater," Regina explained as she took the pan off the stove and switched the appliance off.

"No, not at all. I love eggs and bacon." She watched Regina add the bacon to a plate that already had a pile of steaming scrambled eggs on it. She slid the dish in front of Emma and then offered her a fork and napkin. Emma's stomach growled loudly at the site of the food and she eagerly picked up the fork, but paused with confusion as she noticed there was no bacon left for Regina. "You're not having any?" she questioned, eyebrows knit together.

"No, I prefer fruit. You enjoy," the brunette urged. She waited for Regina to take a seat with her own plate of food, eggs and an assortment of sliced fruits, before she dug in.

"Orange juice?" Regina queried. Emma placed a hand in front of her mouth, as she was chewing a rather large mouthful of eggs, and nodded.

Regina poured a glass of juice for Emma and placed it beside her plate before munching on her own breakfast. They ate in silence for the next few minutes, Emma focusing on her meal rather than opening up a conversation. She wasn't sure what to say. Should she even bother getting to know this woman? For all she knew, she'd be back at the foster home in a day or two. It was Regina who finally spoke up.

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem quiet this morning," she noted, voice still deeper than normal due to her own lack of sleep. She thought last night had gone rather well, all things considered. But this morning, it was easy to see that Emma's walls were up full-force.

Emma nodded, her eyes on her plate as she swallowed a bite of bacon. "I'm just enjoying breakfast. It's really good. Thank you," Emma responded, meeting Regina's eyes for a brief moment before she looked down again.

"You're welcome." She knew Emma wasn't telling the truth, or at least not completely. There was something else clearly bothering the teen, but she didn't feel it was her place to push the subject yet. Emma needed to open up on her own time. Prying would only erect her walls further. Regina knew this from personal experience.

"So, I was thinking, we need food," Regina declared. "Why don't we take a ride around town so I can show you everything, and then we can go grocery shopping? I can show you the school since we'll have to get you registered tomorrow."

The thought of school caused Emma's stomach to churn. She was thankful that she had just swallowed the last bite of food, because her appetite was abruptly lost. She had always been fairly smart with decent grades, but her social skills were next to none. She always found herself the topic of gossip in the schools she attended - the new girl from the foster system who didn't fit in anywhere.

Emma simply shrugged and stood to wash her dish in the sink. She inclined her head towards Regina's empty plate. "Would you like me to wash your's?"

Regina watched her curiously, aware that her question had been avoided, but nodded and handed Emma the plate. The teen took it and washed both dishes and forks before placing them on the drying rack. Regina could see the rigidness in Emma's shoulders as she reached for a towel to dry her hands. "Emma?"

The blonde seemed lost in thought as she replaced the towel. "Emma?" the mayor tried again, her voice a bit louder this time.

Realization seemed to enter the teen's previously clouded eyes and she turned to look at Regina, shaking her head. "Sorry, what?" she tried awkwardly, a nervous hand fidgeting with the bun atop her head.

Head quirked ever so slightly, Regina said, "You looked a million miles away."

Emma's cheeks seemed flushed as she moved towards the hallway leaving the kitchen. "I was just... thinking. Grocery shopping sounds good. I'll go get ready."

With those words spoken, Emma retreated from the room and vanished from site. Regina was left in mild shock at the island, confusion evident in her face. What had just happened?

* * *

After showering and making themselves presentable for an afternoon out, Regina had taken Emma on a tour of the town. It didn't take long since there was not much to Storybooke, but the time seemed to drag since Emma wouldn't carry on a conversation. Regina would occasionally try to get a topic started, but seeing as she wasn't very good at communication herself, they would eventually fall silent again after a terse reply from Emma.

The teen was especially quiet after briefly being shown the school. She had stared at the building with what Regina felt was silent contempt. She made a mental note to speak with Emma about it later. She didn't want her starting school on a bad note.

After the tour, they shared a quiet lunch at Granny's again so grocery shopping wouldn't be done on empty stomachs. Around 1pm they finally arrived at the supermarket, Emma soundlessly following Regina inside. The mayor retrieved a cart and then pulled out her list of usual items before turning to Emma. "So, what kind of things do you like?"

Emma looked taken aback by the question, and Regina returned her expression with unease. "What? What is it?" Emma's mood changes today were honestly disconcerting. How was she supposed to read this young girl that she barely knew. _Patience, Regina... _

"Nothing, sorry," Emma dismissed. "It's just, in the foster system, we are expected to eat what we are given. We don't usually get a choice," she added with a small shrug.

Unable to help herself this time, especially after how withdrawn Emma had seemed today, Regina extended a hand and rubbed Emma's upper arm gently. "Well here, you get to choose. As long as it isn't solely candy and junk food," she offered lightly with a wink.

Emma responded with the smallest of smiles, nodded, and then moved further into the store. Regina let out a quiet sigh and ran a hand through the manicured waves of her hair. She knew deep down that having a difficult past would ultimately (hopefully) bring the two closer together, but at the moment, this was proving difficult.

They both decided the easiest way to shop this time would be to wander down each isle and pick out what they wanted. Regina would list Emma's choices for future reference. While Regina picked out mostly fruits and vegetables, along with nuts to snack on at work, Emma filled their cart with chips, cookies, and various other forms of junk food. Oh, to have the metabolism of a teenager again...

After a while, to avoid further non-essential food collection from Emma, Regina sent her to grab a carton of eggs. With a nod, Emma scampered down the isle and turned the corner without really paying attention. She let out a small '_oof'_ as she collided with someone. Various items that had been in a hand-held basket clattered to the floor. Thankfully, nothing broke. "I'm so sorry," Emma stuttered, moving to lean down and help collect the items. "I didn't see you."

A woman with flawless porcelain skin and a cute pixie cut bent down to collect the items as well. Emma's hands were shaking as she quickly placed everything back into the basket. The woman seemed to notice this and looked up with kind hazel eyes, placing a hand on one of Emma's to stop her. "Hey, it's okay," she assured the younger girl.

Emma met the woman's eyes and was held captive for a moment, unable to move as she examined the lady's rounded face and warm smile. She looked familiar somehow, but that was impossible. The distinct clearing of a third woman's throat caught both of their attention. Emma jerked her hand away and looked over her shoulder to see Regina standing behind her.

"Ms. Blanchard, when are you going to learn to look where you're going?" she bit out harshly, judgement blatant on her face as she regarded the familiar woman. Snow White... her step-daughter... a woman she did and would always despise. And she had just been _touching _Emma. Sure, she had only reached out to grasp Emma's hand in reassurance, but Regina didn't want the lady anywhere near her.

"No, it was my fault..." Emma stammered, moving to stand quickly. "I wasn't paying attention."

Refusing to show Mary Margaret any sort of sympathy, she pushed forward in regards to the woman. "You seem to have a bad habit of running into people," she snapped.

The dark-haired woman stood up slowly with her basket in hand, her eyes cast down towards the ground in submission. "My apologizes, Madam Mayor."

Emma shook her head fervently and stood between the two women, looking right at Regina. "It was my fault," she insisted again. Not used to being questioned, Regina met Emma with harsh, authoritative eyes. Emma promptly stepped back, eyes revealing a mix of confusion and hurt before they fell to the floor. Regina immediately regretted her actions, but the sudden interference of Mary Margaret brought her anger right back to the surface.

"Regina, there's no reason to be mad at her," she gestured towards Emma. "It was just a mistake."

"You'd be wise to refrain from informing me of how I should or should not react, Ms. Blanchard," Regina nearly hissed, eyes ablaze with a fire Emma had never seen before. She did not like this side of Regina. It reminded her too much of some of her more violent foster parents in the past.

Mary Margaret opened her mouth as if to respond, but quickly closed it again. She cast a sympathetic look towards Emma, bright eyes filled with concern, before she reluctantly stepped around Regina and disappeared down another isle.

Regina watched her go and then turned back to Emma, her expression softening almost instantly. She took in Emma's tense posture, arms crossed over her chest in a shielding manner, eyes glued to her shoes. "Emma..." she began.

But Emma instantly cut her off. "I'm ready to go."

Regina sighed, but nodded and led the way to the checkout lines. The eggs were forgotten as she bought their current items and then left the store, Emma dragging silently behind.

The drive home was filled with quiet tension. Emma helped Regina bring the groceries inside once they arrived home, but denied dinner when Regina offered to make something for her. Without so much as a second glance, Emma vanished up the stairs and retreated to her room.

Regina let out an angry snarl as she roughly fell onto one of the island stools. She propped her elbows on the counter and hid her face within the palms of her hands. "You dumb ass. How stupid can you be?" she asked herself in anger. Why had she glared at Emma? The young girl had done absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, she had _apologized_, and had taken full responsibility. Any mother would have been proud, but Regina had only been focused on her despise towards Snow and had let her emotions get the better of her. She had _really _screwed up. She couldn't lose someone else because of her horrid step-daughter.

* * *

Emma sat on her bed, her knees bent at her chest and arms wrapped around them tightly. She had rapidly changed into black tights and a loose t-shirt upon entering the room, feeling even more constricted in the skinny jeans she had previously been wearing. She stared ahead at the far wall blankly, eyes glistening with tears she refused to shed.

What had she done wrong? She had only run into Ms. Blanchard by accident, and she had apologized. Yet, Regina had regarded her with so much anger. Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here. Perhaps Regina had realized how much of a burden lugging a teenager around could be.

Sighing roughly, Emma moved to stand from the bed, bare feet scuffing over the large rug as she moved towards the bedroom's closet. Sitting in silence and getting swept up in pointless thoughts would only make things worse. She needed to do something. Perhaps making room for her things in the closet would help pass the time.

To her dismay, there was nothing in the closet but a box on the floor. Figuring she'd take what she could get, Emma drug the box out of the closet and sat down on the floor to go through its contents. There were just old quilts and a couple of winter jackets inside, but as she shuffled through the soft items, her fingers brushed something hard beneath everything.

Curiosity entering her eyes, she pulled everything out of the box and found a book at the bottom. It was bound with a leather cover and the title read _Once Upon A Time_. Emma retrieved the book, put the winter items back into the box, and then retreated back to her bed to flip through the pages.

For the next hour or so, the teen read through the first few stories inside the aged book. The pages consisted of fairytale stories with characters like Snow White, Prince Charming, and the Evil Queen. Her eyebrows knit together in wonder as she scanned the pages. She had seen the movies and read the original stories about these characters during her younger years. This book told things... differently.

Just as she was getting to the part about Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Emma startled and snapped the book closed. "Emma, can we talk?" came Regina's voice from the other side of the door.

"One second." Emma scanned the room for somewhere to hide the book. For some reason, she wanted to keep this item to herself. Hopping up from the bed, Emma stuffed the book deep under her mattress and replaced the comforter before sitting back down in the same spot. "Come in."

Regina hesitantly opened the door then, shuffling into the room. Emma wrapped her arms around her legs and stared down at her knees. The older woman took a seat on the side of the bed and regarded Emma with apologetic eyes.

"Emma, I just wanted to say, I'm..." she stopped, the word caught in her throat. Why couldn't she say such a simple word? Five letters, that's it. She owed Emma that much. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. "I'm... sorry. About earlier."

Emma finally looked up at her with confused eyes. "I really didn't mean to run into..." she began, but Regina cut her off.

"Emma, I know you didn't," she former queen sighed, moving to massage her temples. "I shouldn't have looked at you the way I did." She felt pressure from a stress-induced headache coming on. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why were you so angry?" came an innocent, honest response.

"I... it wasn't you... it... I just don't get along with Ms. Blanchard..." Regina attempted to explain. "I let my temper get the best of me."

Emma seemed thoughtful. Ms. Blanchard had seemed nice enough. What could she have done to arise so much hate in Regina? Hazel eyes scanned the older woman's face, finding a trace of hurt there.

"Are you... okay?" Emma tried, head cocked as blonde hair cascaded down over her shoulder.

Regina felt shocked at the concern Emma seemed to have for her. She had scorned Emma for literally no reason earlier, and yet the young girl wondered if _she _was okay? "I'm fine," was all the mayor could manage. "Emma, do you think you could forgive me? That you could give me another chance? I promise, I won't let my anger get the best of me again." Regina thought about the promise for a moment, deciding to make a small change if she were to truly keep it. "At least, towards you. I promise not to direct unwarranted anger towards you again. You didn't deserve that..."

Emma seemed to be contemplating her words. Regina found herself unable to meet the younger girl's eyes anymore, and dropped her gaze to the clasped hands upon her lap.

Emma had what she liked to regard as a superpower of sorts. She could tell when someone was lying. And right now, as she took in Regina's defeated posture and conflicted emotions, she could only sense truth radiating from the older woman. She was truly sorry, and while Emma wasn't completely convinced that Regina would be able to keep this new promise, it was the truth that she would _try_. And trying was enough for Emma, at least for now.

A breath she didn't realize she had been holding suddenly escaped Regina's lungs as a third hand appeared in her line of sight and covered the two in her lap. The brunette looked up to see Emma gently smiling back at her. "I forgive you."

The two stared at one another for a long moment before Regina finally let out a breathless, "Thank you." A lone tear escaped the corner of her right eye and she brushed it away swiftly, an awkward chuckle sounding from her chest.

"So," she began, patting Emma's hand gently before moving to stand. "I know you said earlier that you didn't want dinner, but I have a feeling that decision might have been a bit rash." Regina straightened herself up and ran her hands over her blouse. "What do you say we go make some dinner? Whatever you want."

A devious sparkle suddenly shone in Emma's bright eyes. "_Whatever _I want?" she repeated.

Regina arched a delicate brow and exhaled loudly in the form of a chuckle. "Yes..." she trailed off. She was definitely going to regret this.

A few minutes later, the two were nestled within the cushions of the sofa downstairs, bowls of Rocky Road ice cream in their hands. This went against _all _of Regina's rules. Not only were they consuming junk food in place of dinner, but Emma probably wouldn't sleep a wink tonight due to all of this sugar. But Regina kept her mouth shut, and watched Emma's silhouette amongst the flicker of the television's light. The teen took a huge bite of the ice cream, and then suddenly turned towards Regina, blushing as she offered the woman a chubby-cheeked smile.

Regina scoffed and rolled her brown orbs, taking a bite from her own bowl. Yes, Emma Swan was proving to be exactly what the former evil queen needed.


	4. The New Girl

**pjf4life2000: Thank you for the review. I'm really excited to play with these characters and their development as well. Henry will definitely make an appearance later on in the story. I just need to figure out the specifics. **

**I know I mentioned previously that this story would mostly follow the timeline of the show, but I've come to the realization that due to Emma's age, I'm going to have to switch the timeline around some. I don't want to reveal too much, mostly because I'm still trying to figure everything out myself, but you can expect some changes in the order of certain events. Also, don't expect all of the events in this story to be canon. I'm going to be adding in my own twists to this story, and I really hope you all enjoy.**

**With that said, please enjoy chapter four and let me know what you think. **

**Chapter 4: The New Girl**

"Never. Again. Emma." Regina specified each word in the form of groans, her face contorted in mild discomfort as she nursed a steaming cup of black coffee.

Emma sat across from her at the island in the kitchen, palms hiding her face as she nodded slowly in agreement. Something mixed between a scoff and moan sounded from deep in her throat. Ice cream for dinner had most definitely been a bad idea. As if to accentuate that fact, her stomach gurgled loudly.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into that," Regina continued, her brown orbs narrowed somewhat seriously at Emma, although there was definitely a hint of amusement there as well.

Emma only snorted and rubbed a hand in circles over her unamused belly. If she, the teen who lived off sweets and junk food, was feeling the after affects of last night, she could only imagine how Regina felt. The woman was practically a spokesperson for healthy eating, for goodness sakes.

"T'was not my best idea, I'll admit," the blonde remarked sarcastically. Her body felt heavy and bogged down. She looked up as Regina rolled her eyes and took a delicate sip of her coffee. After she swallowed, she began, "Do you want-"

"Don't say it, or I'll puke," Emma stopped her abruptly, one palm held up towards the mayor for emphasis. No, she did _not _want breakfast. She wanted nothing to do with anything involving food at this very moment.

Regina quirked an eyebrow and offered the younger girl a sideways smirk, the phrase _I-told-you-so _quite blatant on her face.

Although her body felt drained of energy due to falling asleep late last night on a stomach full or creamy sugar, she wondered if some fresh air might make things a bit better. Anytime she felt stressed or overwhelmed, going for a run always helped.

"So..." Emma began, not sure how to approach asking Regina if she could go out on her own. "I know we have plans today, but would you mind if I go on a quick morning run?"

Regina sat back on her stool, still cupping the mug of warm liquid in her palms. She looked almost... surprised. "You like to run?"

Emma simply nodded. "When you have a bottomless pit for a stomach, and a knack for all things greasy and sweet like I do, precautions must be taken to avoid losing my oh-so toned abs," she smirked, patting her belly for emphasis. Having a fast metabolism also helped, but it was true that staying in shape, and not just being skinny, required some extra effort.

Regina scoffed. "And I supposed simply eating healthier is out of the question?" At the site of Emma wrinkling her nose in distaste, she said, "I figured as much."

Regina wasn't sure how she felt about letting Emma wander the town on her own. Sure, Storybrooke was a safe place, but after her behavior yesterday, what was to keep the teen from giving up on her and making a run for it? But, Emma had forgiven her, and it would be impossible to keep the 15-year-old in her sites 24-7. Finally, she relented. "I guess that would be fine. But I really need you to be back and showered in a couple of hours. We need to get you registered at the school so you can start tomorrow."

Emma frowned at the reminder of school, but nodded in understanding. "All the more reason to clear my head," she muttered.

"Emma, what's wrong?" Regina pushed, staring at her intently. "I know school isn't something to get overly excited about, but it won't be bad," she urged.

Emma ran a hand through her sleep ransacked hair and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just not overly excited about it, like you said," she blew off. It didn't help that some form of bullying usually presented itself when she attended school, which frequently resulted in physical altercations as a defense mechanism. Emma was a lot of things, but one of those was _not _a pushover. She truthfully was nervous about starting school here because, well, Regina was the _mayor of the town_, for goodness sake, and she didn't want to do something stupid to damage the woman's reputation. And she always had a habit of doing stupid stuff.

Shoving those thoughts to the back of her mind, Emma stood. "So, about that run?" she asked with a knowing smile.

Regina sighed, giving up on the subject, and dismissed Emma with the flick of her hand. "Be back by 9."

"Thanks." And with that, she scurried upstairs to change. That would give her two hours, more than enough time to clear her head.

* * *

Ten minutes later and Emma was out the door, her feet thudding rhythmically against the concrete as she jogged down the sidewalk. Upbeat music blared through her earphones to distract the teen from any signs of fatigue. She _needed _this run, and she didn't want her body to slow her down. A cool breeze sent a chill down Emma's spine, making her happy that she had chosen to run in a t-shirt today rather than a tank.

Although Regina had given her a tour of the town yesterday, it became apparent that Emma really had no idea where she was going. Figuring she could stop and ask for directions if need be, she settled on making turns when she grew bored on running in a straight line. With her short attention span, turns were made more often than necessary.

Thirty minutes into her directionless commute, Emma came upon a small park across the street from a quaint set of apartments. Perhaps there would be some interesting trails to continue her run on. Entering through the iron gates, Emma was thankful for the change in scenery from houses to manicured nature.

Benches dotted the main sidewalk, but most were empty since it was still fairly early in the morning. However, a familiar face caught Emma's attention not too far into the park. She slowed her pace to a walk, breathing heavily as she regarded the woman. "Ms. Blanchard?"

Hazel eyes snapped up to meet the voice and recognition spread across the woman's face. She smiled widely. "Hi! Um..." Mary Margaret was caught off guard when she realized she didn't know the teenager's name.

"Emma," the blonde offered, moving to take her earphones out and drape them around the back of her neck.

"Ah, Emma. Good morning!" The words came out in the form of a cheerful chirp. "What are you doing out and about so early?"

"Just out for a run," she shrugged. A bead of perspiration began to drip down her forehead and she lifted an arm to wipe it away.

"Ah." The older woman studied Emma for a long moment, taking in the teen's rounded face and familiar blue-green eyes. There was something about her, but Mary Margaret was broken from her thoughts when Emma seemed to shift uneasily under her gaze. "Please, come sit." She patted the open area on the bench beside her.

"Oh, I don't want to bother you," Emma tried, but the brunette would have none of it.

"You are no bother. It'd be nice to have some company. I'm just having my morning coffee," she explained, holding up a to-go cup with Granny's label on the side.

"Okay." Emma sat down and paused the music on her phone. "So, about yesterday..."

"Emma, you don't need to say anything," she waved off, shifting to face the teen better.

"Yes, I do," she insisted. "I'm sorry about Regina. I don't know why she got so angry. I tried to explain that it was my fault."

"Okay, one, it was my fault too. I wasn't paying attention either. And, two, you don't need to apologize for Regina," Mary Margaret assured her.

"I just don't really get it," Emma sighed, bright eyes clouded with confusion. "She came to me last night and apologized. She said she let her anger get the best of her... that you and her don't really get along?"

Mary Margaret chuckled lightly and moved to take a sip of her coffee. "It is true that Regina and I don't really see eye-to-eye on things."

"But why?" Emma insisted. If she were going to try and trust Regina, she needed to understand. "You seem so nice."

Mary Margaret could feel her cheeks heat up at the compliment. "Well, thank you Emma, but it isn't about me being nice or mean. I don't think it is really my place to say..."

"Please..." There was a deep need in Emma's eyes as the teen stared back at her. Sighing, she relented.

"Regina keeps to herself a lot. She has a very hard time trusting others. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that I've seen her anywhere else than on her way to town hall. I just..." she searched for the right words. "I just don't think she really knows how to communicate with others. So, when something happens that makes her uncomfortable, she compensates by lashing out on others."

There was a look of concern in Emma's young eyes, and Mary Margaret had the instant urge to try and sooth her worries away. She placed one of her hands on Emma's as a form on comfort. "She isn't a bad person, Emma."

Emma looked down at their hands, unsure of the close contact. But for some reason, she didn't pull away. "It's just, I just got here," Emma began. "And I thought I had done something wrong. Regina has opened her home to me, and... well..." Why was she revealing these things to a perfect stranger? Perhaps it was the honest concern in Ms. Blanchard's eyes, or Emma's own desire not to screw things up with Regina, or maybe it was a mix of the two. "I want to make this work. I don't want to do anything that might make Regina regret letting me into her life..."

"Oh, Emma, no." Mary Margaret took both of Emma's hands on her own, squeezing tightly. "Your actions didn't make Regina angry yesterday. In fact, I haven't ever seen her get so defensive over someone. She's protective of you."

Emma scoffed. "Well, she has a weird way of showing it."

Mary Margaret smiled sadly. "She's learning. It's going to take her some time. She's not used to caring about someone." She paused for a moment, squeezing the teen's hands again to get her full attention. "Emma, I truly believe you are the best thing that has happened to her in a long time. You'll just have to be patient with her."

Emma nodded meekly in understanding. If anyone knew something about being an outcast with poor communication skills, it was her. Her own inability to handle tense situations well, especially in school, was proof of that. "I will be. I really want this to work."

"And it will, Emma, I truly believe that." After another pause, Mary Margaret let out a gush of air and jumped to her feet. The movement startled Emma and she jumped up as well.

"What? What is it?" the teen gasped, eyes shooting around rapidly.

"Sorry, sorry! It's nothing. I mean... I'm just running late. It's almost 8. I need to get to the school."

Emma cocked her head to the side in bewilderment. "The school?"

"I'm a teacher," she explained as she moved to collect her purse off the bench.

"Oh, really? I'm coming with Regina to register for classes today. What grade do you teach?" Emma speculated.

"Grade 10." Mary Margaret was beaming at her, clearly excited to have a new face at the school. "At least this year, I get switched around sometimes."

For the first time in... ever?... Emma could feel a hint of excitement bubbling inside her stomach at the prospect of going to school. "That's my grade."

"Well then, I guess I'll be seeing you in class starting tomorrow, then." She was moving around Emma then, reluctant to end their conversation, but yanked forward due to lack of time. Emma's voice; however, caused her to pause for a second longer.

"Ms. Blanchard!" she called. There was a pause until she had eye contact with the pixie-haired woman again. "Thank you."

The older woman smiled tenderly. "You're quite welcome. Oh, and Emma, outside of school, just call me Mary Margaret."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went by very smoothly. Upon Emma's return home and her sudden willingness to give the whole school thing a chance, Regina had been quite shocked, but satisfied nonetheless. Perhaps she'd have to give running a try if the exercise really helped _that _much.

After going by the school to register Emma for Mary Margaret's class (to the utter displeasure of Regina), the two shared a late lunch at Granny's. Having skipped breakfast due to regretful stomachs from the night before had left the women eager to eat something.

After her conversation with Mary Margaret, Emma made it a goal for herself to try and be more social. She really did want to make things work with Regina, but since both women were inept at communication, the teen figured she would have to be the one to take that first step. After all, simply talking didn't mean she had to reveal her deepest, darkest secrets to everyone. _They're just words... _she kept repeating internally to herself over and over again. Thankfully, Ruby made the task quite simple. It only took one or two words to get the woman chatting for the next half hour.

Regina had kept to herself for most of the lunch, unwilling to participate in the conversations, but also able to refrain from making too many snappy remarks. When Ruby seemed to be grading on Regina's nerves, a small smile from Emma would calm the flustered mayor down again.

"You were quite the chatter box today," Regina noted as she and Emma convened in the kitchen again after their evening showers. Emma's hair was still damp and pulled back in a loose ponytail, the hair swaying as she shrugged her shoulders.

"I just figured, if this is where I'm going to live, I should start getting to know some people."

Regina's eyebrows rose in unison, clearly surprised by Emma's words. "So, I take it you're enjoying your stay in Storybrooke, then?" The question was full of hidden hope.

Emma went to one of the cabinets and pulled out the box of hot chocolates. She was still full from their late lunch, but could never turn the drink down. As she snatched two of the powder packets out, she glanced over her shoulder nonchalantly at Regina. "I am. I'm thinking about making my reservation a longterm thing..." she smirked.

Regina couldn't disguise the excitement that flooded out with the next few words. "I think we can arrange that."

Emma made two cups of hot chocolate for them both, her's topped off with the usual whipped cream and cinnamon, before they retreated to the living area for a bit of television before bed. Regina would have to start back to work tomorrow, and Emma would have her first day of school in Storybrooke.

Regina expected Emma to take her usual seat on the cushion at the opposite end of the sofa, but instead, the young blonde plopped down right beside her and leaned back comfortably. Emma's arm brushed her own when she brought her cinnamon-covered coco to her mouth for a sip. "What do you want to watch?"

"You pick," Regina responded as usual. She noticed a pressure on her arm as Emma lightly leaned her weight against her, bright eyes on the TV as she flipped through the channels. The urge to stand up and regain some personal space crossed Regina's mind, but something anchored her to the spot.

Perhaps it was Emma's complete and utter ease with the situation. This was a teen who had obvious trust issues and communication limitations that nearly matched her own. Yet, there she was, braced against the older woman as if they had been friends for years. Emma really was trying to give Regina a chance.

That realization caused the former queen to lower her walls, if only for the evening, and loosely wrap an arm around the young girl. She ran her hand up and down Emma's arm a few times, conveying a silent 'thank you' through the gesture. Perhaps this would work out after all.

* * *

Emma heaved out a frustrated groan the following morning when an alarm drew her abruptly from slumber. She blindly reached for the device and swatted at it until the incessant beeping stopped. Why was it that she naturally woke up early most mornings, but when she _had _to wake up early, suddenly her body just couldn't bare the burden?

She fumbled with the lamp on her nightstand until the bedroom was bathed in dim light, and then begrudgingly left the warmth of her sheets to take a quick shower. Once the water had forced her senses somewhat awake, she retreated back into her room in search of the skinny jeans and black button-down blouse she had laid out the night before.

While the teen preferred wearing no makeup, she did cover her eyelashes in a light layer of mascara, and then allowed her hair to dry in natural, loose waves. After slipping on her usual pair of sneakers and a grey jacket to counteract the chilly morning air, Emma draped a backpack over one of her shoulders and moved to leave the room. However, a sudden thought caused her to pause mid-step, and she spun around on her heels to retrieve the _Once Upon A Time _book from beneath her mattress. If today were to be like most others, Emma would be sitting alone at lunch, so at least this would help pass the time. She tucked the leather-bound book into her bag and zipped it up, then finally descended the stairs in search of Regina.

As usual, the brunette was sipping on a cup of coffee in the kitchen. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw Emma. "You look lovely this morning."

Emma fought back a blush as she dropped her bag to the floor and took a seat. "Thanks."

Regina stood and made her way over to the fridge, most likely to grab their usual eggs and bacon, but Emma stopped her. "Um.. do you mind if we skip breakfast this morning? Or, at least me anyway. Nervous stomach," she explained.

Regina nodded in understanding and let the door fall closed again. "You don't need to be nervous. You saw yesterday, it's a small school."

"Small or not, you said yourself that Storybrooke doesn't get many visitors. I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb." Emma's tone didn't convey any source of complaint, just stark fact.

"Hey..." Regina began, moving around the island to place a hand on Emma's shoulder. After last night, she felt more comfortable with the gentle physical contact.  
"Everyone will think of you as the mayor's kid. They're not going to mess with you."

Emma barked a heavily sarcastic laugh and hopped down from the stool, heaving her bag over her shoulder as she stalked out of the kitchen. "That just makes it worse!" she whined, her age showing clearly at that moment. Regina was left there dumbfounded, hand mid-air where Emma's shoulder had been, her mouth a-gap. She looked in the direction Emma had disappeared and arched a questioning brow, lips falling closed into a straight line.

_You wanted to adopt a teenager, Regina..._ she reminded herself. The former queen recovered her purse and car keys from the counter and headed in the direction Emma had gone. She couldn't help but smirk when she found Emma propped against the Mercedes, arms crossed over her chest in impatience.

The drive to the school was very short, and as she brought the car to a stop to let Emma out, she found herself suddenly not wanting to let the teen go. But, she had to be the adult here. "I'll pick you up here after school and then we can go grab Granny's for supper."

Emma glanced from the school, back over to Regina, and nodded. Noticing a hint of reluctance in the older woman's eyes, she pulled herself together and mustered up the most convincing smile she could manage. "I'll be fine." She stepped out of the car and ducked her head down one last time to see inside. "See you at 3." And with that, she closed to door and headed inside.

Regina watched Emma vanish behind the double doors. The teenager's mood changes were definitely going to be something she'd have to get used to. One minute she showed her age and then the next, Emma seemed to possess a maturity far beyond her years. Shaking her head, the mayor put her car into drive and headed for town hall.

Inside the building, Emma kept her eyes glued to the ground, only shifting her gaze upwards to read the names of the teachers on the doors she passed. Storybrooke indeed had a fairly small school, and within minutes she saw **Ms. Blanchard **spelled in decorative lettering across one of the doors. She peeked through the window, pleased to see not many students had arrived yet, and finally mustered up the courage to step inside. She was immediately greeting with a beaming smile.

"Emma!" Mary Margaret stood up from behind her desk and embraced Emma kindly. Emma tensed up for a moment, but finally relented and returned the hug awkwardly. "So glad to have you here!" she continued, stepping back to give the teen some breathing room.

"It's good to... um.. be here.. I guess," Emma returned shyly, quite aware that the hug had drawn the attention from the other students in the room.

Mary Margaret seemed to sense her discomfort and stepped back, motioning towards the desks. "Only about 10 of these desks are utilized, so sit wherever you'd like."

Emma scanned the nearly 20 desks in the room. Wow, this town really was tiny. In previous schools, the classrooms had been too small for the number of students it would be forced to house, and it had been a struggle to cram 30 or more kids in with one teacher.

Class began soon after Emma picked a seat, not quite all the way in the back, but behind the other students so they would have to turn around if they wished to look at her.

Ms. Blanchard had a very enthusiastic style of teaching. She went through the subjects as if they were stories, accentuating certain words to gain everyone's attention and motioning with her hands to emphasize key points. Emma found herself intrigued, even through the subject she hated most - math.

Lunch rolled around as Mary Margaret was trying to explain how to solve a complicated word problem, and all the students jumped up in eager anticipation at the sound of the bell. Emma followed behind slowly, offering the older woman a small smile as she exited the room. This would be it... the most unpleasant part of the day. Thankfully, instead of being stuffed in a bland lunchroom, the students were able to eat outside. She found an empty table and, still not willing to ingest food quite yet, pulled out her book instead. Emma still hadn't been able to read about Snow White and Prince Charming's wedding, and was honestly curious to see what happened.

She found herself engrossed within the text until a small voice garnered her attention. "Hi there."

Emma nearly had a heart attack as she snapped her eyes up from the book. A young girl stood on the other side of the picnic table, thick blonde tendrils woven into two braids on each side of her head. Two welcoming blue eyes accompanied a small smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

Emma let out a breath and chuckled. "No, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting anyone, I guess."

The shorter girl laughed. "I'm Ava. You must be the new girl, Emma. May I sit?"

"Um.. yeah, sure." Emma gestured towards the empty bench opposite her and watched Ava carefully. "Yeah, I'm Emma. I just moved here."

Ava climbed onto the bench and sat down, moving to unpack her lunchbox. "It's nice to meet you, Emma." Just then, more chatter filled the school yard as another class of younger students were let out for lunch. A small boy with similar facial features to Ava came scampering over, overgrown brown hair framing his head. He hugged Ava tightly from behind as she laughed, shoving him playfully away. "This is Nicholas, my annoying little brother."

Nicholas stuck his tongue out at his sister and snatched a chip from her bag, popping it into his mouth. At her protest, he danced out of the way of her swatting hand, and turned his attention to Emma. "Hi!" he chirped through a full mouth. "Who are you?"

Ava sighed heavily at her obviously hyper brother. "Nicholas, sit down. This is Emma. She's new here."

"Oh, awesome! We don't get many new people here! How old are you? I'm 11. Where are you from?" His words tumbled out without a breath and Emma found herself struggling to say anything in response. "Nicholas!" his sister snapped again.

"Oops, sorry. I talk a lot. I don't mean to, but I just do. It's boring when people are quiet, and I don't like to be bored, so..." A hand clamped down over his mouth then, Ava glaring with exasperated blue eyes. "Nicholas, shut up."

Emma couldn't help but laugh at the banter between the two, strangely happy for the company. She had never been greeted in such a way at a new school. It was refreshing. As Ava dropped her hand from her brother's mouth, Emma quickly responded. "It's nice to meet you, Nicholas." She tested the name on her lips, finding it quite a big word for such a little man. "Would you mind if I called you Nick?"

"Oh, nicknames! Yes, yes! Call me Nick," came his childishly delighted response.

Emma chuckled. "Okay, Nick it is." Thinking about his earlier questions, she continued. "I'm 15. And as for where I'm from, well... that's complicated. But I lived in Portland before I came here."

"Oh, Portland? I've never been there. What's it like? Is there..."

Again, Ava cut him off. "Nicholas..." she sighed. Emma was grateful for Ava's ability to reign her brother in. She didn't much feel like talking about her past.

Noticing the lack of food in front of Emma, Ava pulled out a ziplock bag with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich inside. "You want half?"

Emma was taken aback by her kindness, but politely declined. "I'm going to have dinner with Regina after school. I'll be fine until then, but thank you."

"Regina? As in, the mayor?" the blonde gaped.

Emma had assumed everyone knew who she was associated with. "Yes," she muttered uncomfortably. "She.. um.. well... I'm living with her now." She couldn't really bring herself to admit that she had been adopted. That would just arouse more questions she didn't feel like answering.

"That's so cool!" Nicholas suddenly piped up again. "So, you're like the princess of Storybrooke now!" Emma blushed at his words and ducked her head. She was far from anything close to a princess.

Ava shushed her brother again and rolled her eyes. "Don't mind him. He doesn't have a filter." The statement was met with a long "Heyyyyy" from her sibling.

"So, where do you live in town?" Emma wondered, trying to get the topic off of her. She had forgotten the book was still open in front of her, so she quickly closed it and tucked it away in her bag.

"We're on the west side of town, bordering the forest," Ava offered, noticing the book but choosing not to say anything about it.

"Our dad is the town mechanic!" Nicholas added proudly, practically bouncing up and down in his seat.

"That's really cool," Emma responded to appease the small boy. Just then, a familiar bell sounded from inside the building, signaling the end of lunch for Emma's class.

"Oh, that's us," Ava told her brother, who stuck his lower lip out to form a pout in response. She ruffled his hair to cheer him up. "I'll meet you outside after school, dweeb."

He swatted at her hand before collecting his things and retreating off in the direction of some friends. "Okay!"

Emma watched the interactions between the two with silent envy. She had never felt comfortable enough around someone else to just mess around carelessly as these siblings were doing. She had been good friends with a girl named Lilly once, but that had ended badly.

Ava walked with Emma back towards the school building. "So, if you can handle my brother, maybe we could have lunch together again tomorrow?" the shorter girl queried hopefully.

Emma was surprised that someone wanted to spend time with the new girl, but could not complain in the least. "Of course. I actually really like your brother. He's a happy little kid." His attitude was refreshing compared to the hopelessness most children emitted in the foster system.

Mary Margaret regarded the girls with great pleasure as Emma and Ava re-entered her classroom side-by-side.

* * *

Ms. Blanchard called out to Emma as the blonde was about to exit the classroom at the end of the day. "Emma, wait. I'll walk out with you."

Once she had locked up the room and shrugged on her coat, the two headed down the hall towards the main exit. "So, how was your first day?" the older woman queried.

"It was good, actually. I met Ava and her brother Nick. They're both nice." She was looking down at the floor as they walked, but Mary Margaret could tell by the position of her cheeks that she was smiling.

"That's great, Emma." She found herself repeatedly glancing in the teen's direction, taking in her profile. While she adored all of her students, she was developing a particular fondness for Emma. Why... she wasn't quite sure.

"Oh, there's Regina," Emma suddenly said as they squeezed through the doors. At the mention of the mayor, a nervousness settled in the teacher's stomach and she drew to a stop. Emma noticed this and paused as well. "Are you okay?"

Behind Emma, she could see Regina's posture stiffen. The woman went from leaning against the car casually, to standing up straight with her hands placed firmly upon her hips. "Oh yes, I'm fine," Mary Margaret reassured Emma with a smile. Regina was approaching them then, suddenly at Emma's side with a possessive hand placed on the younger girl's shoulder.

Emma could feel the tension rising between the two women, and in order to prevent a repeat of the grocery store incident, the blonde moved in for a sideways hug with Regina. Surprised and instantly more relaxed, Regina hugged her back. "Ms. Blanchard," the dominant woman regarded as Emma pulled away.

"Madam Mayor," Mary Margaret replied, her tone much less enthusiastic than it had been throughout the day. It was true that Regina wasn't a social person, but Mary Margaret also wasn't naive enough to believe that the mayor didn't house a specific hate towards her. She had never understood why, but it was apparent.

Tearing vengeful eyes away from the school teacher, Regina regarded Emma. "So, how did it go today? Good, I hope?" Mary Margaret could practically hear the words _for your sake _come from the woman's mouth as well.

"Good. I met a couple of nice kids, and Ms. Blanchard is a great teacher," Emma explained, trying to ease some of the tension flowing off Regina.

"Mhm." Regina glanced back towards the other woman and placed a hand on the small of Emma's back, turning to guide her back towards the car. "I'm glad to hear you had a good day."

Emma, surprised by the sudden departure, looked back over her shoulder towards her teacher, and perhaps... friend? Could she classify her as that yet? "See you tomorrow, Ms. Blanchard."

Mary Margaret waved and watched the two enter Regina's Mercedes and drive off in the direction of Granny's. With a shake of her head and a small chuckle, she began walking in the direction of her own car. Regina hadn't openly reprimanded her in public again, so that was definitely a start.

* * *

**Alrighty, that's it for now. **

**As you probably noticed, I decided to bring Hansel and Gretel into the story. They're not by themselves and their father never left them in this version. The events between the Evil Queen, the Blind Witch, and the kids did take place back in the Enchanted Forest, but let's just say that the Evil Queen had a momentary lapse in character and allowed the children to find their father again. I really wanted Emma to develop a friendship with characters that would be recognized.**

**So, now that I have the basics out of the way, I plan on letting things speed up a bit from here on out, and bringing in some action pretty soon. **

**I'm honestly excited to see where this story goes. The truth is, you all know just about as much as I do after each chapter, at least until I really sit down and let the ideas develop themselves as I write. **

**Until the next update...**

**-Newfi**


	5. A Vengeful Queen

**Chapter 5: A Vengeful Queen**

* * *

***3 months later***

Things finally seemed to be falling into place for Emma. She and Regina were getting along well, and while the mayor still preferred not to socialize with the other town folks, they were growing more comfortable with each other's company as the days progressed. Emma had fallen into what could only be described as a daily routine. She never in a million years would have believed her life could become this... simple. She loved it.

"Nicholas, stop! You're making me dizzy!" Ava's complaint broke Emma out of her thoughts and pulled her back to the present. She and Ava were on their way to Granny's for their usual Friday night dinner after school. The two had become fairly good friends, although Emma still couldn't bring herself to discuss things involving her past. She still really hadn't even offered details up to Regina.

As the two girls walked casually along the sidewalk, Nicholas ran in repetitive circles around them, his energy at an all-time high. Emma found herself following his movements and swayed slightly, having to pause momentarily in order to steady herself. "Nick!" she complained. "Do you want me to puke?"

Coming to a sudden stop, the little boy wrinkled his nose in disgust at the thought. "Ew, no! Gross!"

"Then stop running in circles!" Emma groaned. Ava snickered beside her.

"You see, this is what I have to deal with everyday of my life. Be grateful you don't have a brother," she commented.

"You would be lost without me!" Nicholas countered tantalizingly, a big grin on his face. Ava only rolled her shimmering blue eyes.

As the three began walking again, this time with Nicholas between them, Emma brought her hands to her temples in an attempt to massage them gently. "Headache?" Ava questioned, glancing over towards her taller friend.

"Yup." Over the last week or so, evening headaches had become a usual occurrence for Emma. She chalked it down to being stress from school. Feeling the pressure building in her head, the teen dug a bottle of ibuprofen out of her backpack and unscrewed the lid, popping two of the small red pills into her mouth carelessly.

Ava seemed somewhat concerned as Emma swallowed the pills dry. "Have you told Regina about them?"

Glancing at Ava sideways, the look in Emma's hazel eyes revealed her answer. "I don't want to worry her. They're just headaches."

Due to the finality in Emma's tone, Ava dropped the subject. Completely oblivious to the hint of seriousness floating around them, Nicholas piped up. "Ava, can I get a milkshake tonight?" he questioned innocently.

She gave him an incredulous look and shook her head. "As hyper as you are right now? No way! Dad would kill me."

"Butttt-"

"No buts," she countered quickly.

He pouted and turned to Emma, sticking his bottom lip out. "Emma, will you get me a milkshake?" he prompted, giving the other girl his best puppy dog eyes. His brown irises glistened with slyness. She raised her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this."

"You both stink!" Nicholas pouted. They were approaching Granny's and Nicholas took off at a run into the small diner.

"Brat.." Ava muttered under her breath, earning a laugh from Emma.

The two girls made their way into the building, the bell above the door signaling their arrival. Ruby tilted her head in their direction and smiled. The young waitress had also become somewhat of a friend to Emma. Ruby loved to keep her in the loop about all of the town's gossip, and while she preferred to stay out of the middle of drama for obvious reasons, it couldn't hurt to be informed. If Ruby's exaggerated stories could count as reliable information, that is.

Nicholas let out a few grunts and groans as he pulled himself up onto one of the chairs at the bar. Finally settling himself, he beamed at Granny who was drying glasses behind the counter. "Hi Granny!"

"Here we go..." Ava muttered as the two girls took their seats beside the fidgety 11-year-old.

"Hello, Nicholas. And no Nicholas, you may not have a milkshake unless your sister says it's okay," the old woman remarked, eying the boy over her glasses.

"Ugh!" Nicholas plopped back in his seat dramatically, the stool swaying with the movement. The girls both broke into laughter.

Ruby walked up then, quirking a brow at Nicholas' little tantrum. "The usuals?" she questioned.

Emma nodded, and since she was closest to Nick, reached out to juke him in the side playfully. This instantly resulted in a fit of laughter. Knowing Ava wouldn't mind, she added, "And give this one broccoli for his side." Just as he was about to open his mouth to complain, Emma held a hand up and continued. "If he finishes it completely, he gets a large milkshake." Mouth a-gap and eyes showing contemplation, Nicholas finally huffed and sat back in his seat.

"You got it!" Ruby piped before moving towards the kitchen.

"You do realize I'm the one that has to get him to sleep tonight, not you, right?" Ava questioned with a glare.

"Yes, but I saved you an all-night temper tantrum. Isn't that right, Nick?" Emma emphasized. At her words, the brunette bobbed his head and grinned largely. Ava scoffed and leaned back in her chair.

"Oh, Emma, where's your book? Did you bring it today? I want to read some more! I was just getting to a good part in Little Red Riding Hood's story."

"Yes, Nick, I would never forget the book," Emma gushed, pulling it out from her bag and handing it to him. A couple of days after their first lunch together, Ava had inquired about the book, instantly earning curiosity from Nicholas. Turned out the little man was an avid reader, mostly of comics, but fairytales were fun too. Emma still hadn't shown the book to Regina, not sure how the serious woman would feel about her being interested in a book of fantasies. Reading through the tales was a fun escape from reality for a bit.

"Oh, Red Riding Hood. Has the wolf eaten her yet?" Ruby remarked as she appeared again, pushing lemonades in front of them all.

Nicolas scoffed, as if what the older woman said was complete rubbish. "She doesn't get eaten, _Ruby_," he emphasized matter-of-factly. "Red _is _the wolf."

Ruby held both of her hands up in surrender. "Well, that's new. The story was different when I was your age."

"This book puts a little spin on things," Emma explained nonchalantly.

Just then, the bell over the door signaled another entry, and Ava glanced over her shoulder towards the door. Emma hissed when she elbowed her in the arm.

"That's Ms. Blanchard," Ava whispered, ignoring the glare she was getting from her friend. "With Dr. Whale," she added, a hint of disgust in her tone. "What is she doing with _him_?" Everyone knew that the doctor was one of the biggest players in town. He showed up for a date with a new woman almost every week.

Emma shrugged her shoulders and forced herself to look away before she was caught staring. The two had taken a seat at a nearby table and were looking through the menus. Ruby sauntered over to take their drink orders and Ava scoffed. "That jerk. He's practically burning holes into Ruby's butt!"

Emma gasped and grabbed Ava's arm, placing a finger over her own lips. "Shhh. You're going to get us in trouble." But, it was true. His eyes followed Ruby through the diner while Mary Margaret sat right across from him. He wasn't even trying to be sly about it. What a jerk.

For the next hour, Emma tried to stay occupied by talking to Ava and Ruby while munching on her grilled cheese. She wanted to give Mary Margaret some privacy, but she couldn't help but glance over her shoulder every once and a while. She didn't seem to be having a good time at all, her normally lively eyes bored and empty. Emma had a feeling there wouldn't be a second date, and she was secretly happy about that. She and the older woman had grown somewhat close over the last few months. They would have morning chats at the bench in the park sometimes, which Emma neglected to ever mention to Regina, and they were always excited to see one another at school. If Regina was going to be late picking her up due to work, she'd even stay behind and help Mary Margaret clean up the classroom. They were always able to chat freely with one another. The pixie-haired woman was open, inviting, and kind. Emma still couldn't understand why Regina hated her so much.

"They're leaving," Ava whispered. Whale held the door for Mary Margaret as they left the diner, about the only gentlemanly thing he had done all evening. He was also quite obviously inebriated from the endless beers he had ordered over the last hour. Emma watched as they paused down at the the sidewalk. They seemed to be having some conversation that heated up quickly, and all of a sudden Whale was grabbing her arm, to which Mary Margaret tried to yank away.

Emma found herself on her feet and out the door before her brain had even processed the action. "Hey, leave her alone!" Her voice came out as a yell as she jogged down the front steps. Ruby and Ava were right on her tail, Granny staying behind in the doorway with Nicholas at her side.

"Emma, it's okay. I'm fine," Mary Margaret assured her as she finally yanked her arm free.

Whale let out a loud, snarky laugh. "And how _exactly _do you think you can make me leave her alone?" he taunted, taking a step towards Emma.

"Hey, back off!" Ruby snarled, stepping up beside Emma. The brunette was quite intimidating when she was angry, her lips pulled back over her teeth almost like a wolf baring its canines.

Just as Whale was about to make a crude remark towards the waitress, the wheels of a black Mercedes squealed to a halt behind all of them. Regina tore out of the vehicle, eyes raging as she ran over to Emma. "What the hell is going on here?" she hissed, immediately placing herself between Emma and the drunken Whale. Her hands were balled into fists, muscles clearly tense beneath her suit jacket. There was a wild rage within the woman that nearly all of them could sense, and Emma grabbed her arm gently to try and calm her down. "Regina, it's okay."

But at the moment, the mayor was having none of it. "Whale, I want you to explain _right now _why you were aggressively approaching my daughter?" The teen had never heard Regina refer to her as 'her daughter' before and she was touched, but also quite afraid of what she might do to the man. While the brunette was petite, Emma had no doubt that she could inflict some serious pain if provoked.

"They followed us out here," Whale slurred, motioning sloppily towards Ruby, Ava, and Emma.

"Because you were man handling Mary Margaret!" Emma snapped back. She instinctively moved towards the older man in anger, but Regina held out an arm to stop her.

"Emma, stay," she snapped, more in fear of her getting hurt than in anger. Her eyes conveyed this before they went hard again, glaring back towards Whale. "And _you,_ get out of here _now _before I call Sheriff Graham and have him lock your ass up!"

"Yeah, fine, whatever," Whale barked before stumbling down the sidewalk most likely towards home.

Regina watched him a few moments longer, wishing so badly that she had her magic and could incinerate him with a fire ball, before she turned back to Emma and cupped her shoulders in both hands. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Her face was so raw with worry that it made Emma's heart sink.

"I'm fine, really. I promise," she whispered gently in response.

Deciding to try and do what Emma would want, Regina also regarded Ruby and Ava. "And you two? You're alright?" Both girls nodded, their eyes casted towards the ground. With that done, a sudden anger re-appeared as Mary Margaret moved in her peripheral vision.

"You! You put Emma in danger!" Regina spat, swinging back around to... she wasn't sure exactly. Punch the incessant pain-in-the-ass, perhaps? She wasn't used to physical altercations, as she usually had her magic to do the fighting for her, but she'd have to make due for the moment. However, Emma grabbed Regina's arm, holding her back. Ruby and Ava rushed to get between the two women.

"Regina, stop! Please! It wasn't her fault. Dr. Whale was attacking her. We came out to try and help," Emma explained without taking a breath. Mary Margaret took a step further back, dropping her eyes to the ground.

"You could have been hurt!" Regina countered, relenting in her attempt to attack Mary Margaret. "If you had been, I don't know what I would have done." There was pain in the statement.

"I'm sorry Regina, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Mary Margaret stepped in weakly, shame clouding her voice.

Regina whipped back around. "You never _mean _to do anything, but you screw things up regardless!"

Mary Margaret looked taken aback, suddenly defensive. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Okay, wait! Enough!" Emma joined Ruby and Ava in an attempt to halt the escalating conversation. "Regina, come on, let's just go home." She grabbed the older woman's arm and tugged gently, trying to re-gain her attention. "Please!" Emma begged.

Hardened eyes slowly leaving Mary Margaret, Regina softened at the sight of Emma and let out a harsh breath of air. "Fine."

Allowing Emma to pull her along, Regina cast one last scornful look at the school teacher before getting into her car and driving off.

When Emma and Regina were gone, Ruby released a breath she wasn't aware she had been holding and turned to face Mary Margaret, sympathy in her eyes. "Don't let Regina get to you. You know how she is."

She nodded, but guilt still gnawed at her conscience.

"Do you need a ride home?" Ruby added.

"No. I can walk. I'm so sorry about all of this." She turned to leave then, making her way down the dimly lit sidewalk. She hugged her jacket closer to her body. All she had wanted was an evening out with another person and not spent alone in her apartment, but she knew she should have never accepted Whale's invitation to go on a date. He was a drunk and a player, and she had known that from the every beginning, but her need for company had clouded her judgement, nearly at the expense of Emma's safety. It would never happen again.

* * *

Later that night after Emma had gone to bed, and after being reassured multiple times that she was not hurt in any way, Regina sat wide awake in her home office. Her mind was spinning and body filled with a rage that hadn't been awakened since her time in the Enchanted Forest. How dare anyone even _think _about hurting her daughter. She wished for her magic so that she could torture Whale slowly, agonizingly, until he begged for death. And Mary Margaret... _Snow White_... had been right there in the middle of it. She wanted that dreadful woman gone.

Regina's anger got the better of her and she shot up from her chair, grabbing a container of pens off her desk and chunking it with all her might towards the wall. The object collided loudly and the pens toppled to the floor, each individual sound echoing throughout the room. Regina winced and froze, not daring to move another inch as she listened for Emma. Thankfully the girl was a heavy sleeper, and after nearly two minutes of silence, Regina sighed and sunk back into her chair.

She wanted so badly to keep Snow White from interfering in her life anymore. No matter what Regina did, the woman _always _found a way to screw things up for her. The mayor glanced towards the lower locked drawer of her desk, thinking about the heart that beat steadily behind the metal. Perhaps a night with Graham would get her mind off things...

And that's when it hit her all at once. Regina stood and snatched up her car keys, silently leaving the house and praying Emma wouldn't wake up in her absence. She drove to the cemetery and descended into her vault, taking in the familiar space that she hadn't entered since Emma came into the picture.

She searched the many compartments in the aged walls for a specific potion, one that could change the identity of an organ. Finally coming across a small container with blue liquid inside, Regina's lips curved up knowingly at the corners, dark eyes alight with a re-awakened evil. Yes, this was exactly what she needed.

* * *

The next morning, Emma requested to spend the afternoon at the movies with Ava. While normally Regina would have preferred Emma spend Saturday with her, especially after last night, the mayor accepted the teen's request without a fight.

Around 1pm, after Emma left with her friend, Regina draped a bag full of specific items over her shoulder and headed for town hall. On the way there, Regina dialed a familiar number and brought the phone to her ear. After only a few seconds, a deep voice answered on the other end. "Madam Mayor, what can I do for you?"

"Meet me at my office in 10 minutes." With that said, Regina hung up the phone and focused her attention back on the road.

* * *

Regina was poised behind her desk when Storybrooke's main news reporter entered her office. "Sidney," Regina greeted flatly.

"Regina, what was so important? I was in the middle of a story," the tall man sighed, moving to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of Regina's desk.

"Are you _questioning _me?" the mayor tested.

At her tone, Sidney grew fearful and quickly tried to backtrack. "No, of course not, Madam Mayor. What can I assist you with?" he stuttered meekly.

Looking him up and down, she leaned forward and clasped her hands together upon her desk. "I have a problem Sidney, and I need you to fix it."

"Wh-what kind of problem?"

"Mary Margaret Blanchard. She's threatening the relationship I have finally begun to build with Emma. I need her out of the picture," Regina explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She knew she would always have Sidney's loyalty, she had cursed him that way, but she could see reserve in his eyes.

"You don't want me to... um..."

"Of course not," Regina dismissed, giving him an incredulous look. "As much as I would love to have her dead, that would crush Emma. No, I need her reputation ruined."

"What would you have me do?" he questioned thoughtfully.

"First of all, I need you to go to Mary Margaret's apartment after this and retrieve her jewelry box. It's Saturday, so she will volunteering at the hospital for the afternoon. Do not take any of the possessions inside of it, only the box. Don't make anything look obvious." At a nod from Sidney, she continued. "Then I need you to take this, place it within the box, and bury it out by the old toll bridge."

The former queen withdrew a sack from her bag and handed it to Sidney. "What is it?" As he asked, he pulled the opening apart and glanced inside, dark eyes suddenly widening it shock. "Oh my- I'm going to be sick..." he shoved the bag closed and swallowed down the bile that was beginning to creep up his throat.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Regina sighed, rolling her eyes.

"This is a- who's heart is this?" Sidney gaped.

"That is none of your concern," Regina snapped harshly. "All you need to know is that everyone will think it belongs to Dr. Whale."

"What? I don't-"

"You don't _need _to understand anything, Sidney. You'll get a big, juicy story out of this, and I'll be killing two birds with one stone. Got it?" Regina gritted her teeth together in annoyance, jaw clenched as she waited for him to answer.

"Yes.. yes, of course, Madam Mayor. If this is supposed to be Whale's heart, I assume you'll need me to do something with him?" he added knowingly.

"Ah, so you do have a brain then. Good." Regina scoffed. "Yes, after you bury the heart, you're going to kidnap Whale. His shift ends at the hospital at 11pm. He parks out back and has an old Ford Escape. You're going to wait in his car for him and then knock him out. There's an old cabin about a mile into the woods on the east side of town. Here..." Regina withdrew a burner phone from her desk and handed it to him. "I'll text you the address. You keep him locked up in the basement there. Feed him what is necessary and give him water, but you are to keep him there until I say otherwise. Under no circumstance can he know where he is. Do we understand one another?" Regina asked flatly, one eyebrow lifted in question.

"Yes, of course," Sidney replied confidently.

"Good, then get going. And use the burner phone to tell me when everything is done."

With a quick nod, Sidney stood, sack in hand, and strode out of Regina's office.

* * *

Regina sat in the living room late that evening, a glass of tea in her hand. Her nerves were all over the place. It was nearly midnight. Why hadn't Sidney texted her yet? Surely the fool couldn't have messed up such simple tasks. She had handed him directions on a silver platter.

A small movement drew Regina from her ragged thoughts and she dropped her gaze, eyes instantly softening at the sight of Emma. The teen had come home from the movies in a great mood and had explained the entire plot to Regina over a homemade spaghetti supper. Afterwards, they had moved to the living room for a movie night together, but it hadn't taken long for Emma to fall asleep. Her head was rested upon Regina's lap, breathing calm and even as she slept comfortably.

Suddenly, the screen of Regina's phone lit up to reveal the arrival of a text message. Reaching forward, slowly and carefully as not to wake Emma, she retrieved the device and scanned the screen nervously.

_It's done._

Regina heaved a breath of relief and deleted the message before putting her phone back on the coffee table. Her plan had worked. Tomorrow morning, the hospital staff would report that Dr. Whale hadn't shown up for work. Sheriff Graham would organize a search party to no avail. Eventually, Graham would receive an anonymous phone call reporting strange activity by the toll bridge. Graham would investigate and find the buried heart, a DNA test would reveal the organ as Whale's, and all evidence would point straight towards Mary Margaret. She would be convicted, tried, found guilty, and the rumor would be that she was sent to Warren, Maine to carry out her sentence in Maine State Prison. In reality, Regina would lock the woman in the depths of Storybrooke's hospital, allowing her to rot within the confines of a cramped, pitch black room, alongside Rumple's precious Belle.

Regina's lips rose at the corners, dark eyes glimmering with the ferocity of the Evil Queen. It was all too good to be true. She _would _win this time.

Glancing down, eyes becoming more humane, Regina found herself gently stroking Emma's soft blonde locks. She tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and soaked in the young girl's innocence. She would protect Emma, now and forever. When this was all over, nothing and _no one _would be able to take her away.


	6. The Mad Hatter

**Chapter 6:** **The Mad Hatter**

"No... that... it can't be true."

Emma stood in the doorway of the kitchen, staring in disbelief at Regina who was perched against the island, a fresh cup of coffee in hand. It was 6am on Wednesday morning, three days since Dr. Whale had disappeared. "I'm sorry Emma, but all the evidence points right to her," Regina frowned.

"Mary Margaret isn't a murderer!" Emma's tone was littered with confidence, refusing to believe what she was hearing.

On Sunday around noon, it had been reported that Dr. Whale hadn't shown up for work. Sheriff Graham had jumped right on the case and had organized a search party. After a full day of scouring the town, there had still been no success. On Monday morning, the sheriff's office received an anonymous tip that someone in a cloak had been spotted on Saturday night down by the old toll bridge. Upon searching the area, Graham had discovered a heart buried beneath some wreckage by the water. The heart was reported to have been found in a jewelry box, later discovered to be owned by Mary Margaret Blanchard. After a DNA test confirmed that the heart belonged to Dr. Whale, Mary Margaret was arrested on Monday evening for the murder of the doctor.

Regina had savored the site of Snow locked behind bars. However, to her utter displeasure and annoyance, Mr. Gold had shown up at the Sheriff's office on Tuesday morning to offer his services as a lawyer. The bastard... why couldn't he just leave well enough alone? There would be no saving the school teacher.

"Emma, the heart was found inside Ms. Blanchard's jewelry box. Her finger prints were all over it," Regina tried again. "And she had a motive."

"What motive?" Emma questioned more harshly than she had intended. "You mean the incident from Friday night? That's hardly motive to kill someone!"

"You don't know that," Regina snapped back, eyebrows knitted together in growing annoyance at Emma's attempts to defend the woman.

"Why are you so positive that she did this? Why do you hate Mary Margaret so much?" Emma questioned, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared towards the older woman.

Anger began to rise in Regina and she placed her coffee down loudly on the counter, the hot liquid sloshing within the confines of the mug. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, Regina! You admitted yourself that you and her don't get along," Emma pointed out. "Just because you don't like her, doesn't mean she did this!"

Regina shot up from her stool then, palms slammed flat against the counter as she scowled at the younger girl. "You don't get to question me, Emma! You're way out of line."

Emma glowered right back, hazel eyes boring into brown ones. Slowly, Emma's eyes began to glisten and she broke the stare, inhaling sharply. "I'm going for a run." She turned and stalked out of the kitchen before her eyes could expose her growing emotions.

"Emma!" Regina called out after the teen, but her only response was the sound of the front door slamming closed. The former queen was left fuming and she started to follow after Emma, but the sudden chime of her cell phone stopped her movements. Sighing heavily, she stalked back over to the island and picked up the phone. "What?"

Sheriff Graham's voice came through with haste on the other end. "Regina, it's Mary Margaret. She's escaped."

* * *

Emma pushed herself faster than she normally would during her morning run, sweat coating her body due to the physical exertion. She reached an arm up to wipe beads of sweat out of her eyes, heaving out a breath of air as she forced herself even faster. If she couldn't do anything to help Mary Margaret, then she would run until her worries were driven away by exhaustion.

While many of her emotions began to dim as they always did during a run, her anger towards Regina and over the whole situation did not. Why would Regina so easily be persuaded that Mary Margaret killed Whale? Could her hate for the woman really cloud her judgement _that much_?

Ms. Blanchard was an honost and kind woman, not to mention non-violent. The woman had captured and released a spider from her classroom once instead of killing it, for God's sake. She _couldn't _have killed a man. Plus, Whale was much bigger than Mary Margaret and had proven himself a capable fighter during drunken disputes more than once. There was no way she could have overpowered him like that. She was being set up... she had to be.

Emma unconsciously found herself in the park where she and Mary Margaret sometimes had their morning chats. Her legs were beginning to feel fatigued, so she stopped and sat down on their usual bench, chest heaving. This could not be happening. Things were _finally_ starting to feel right here, but now a woman she had grown fond of was being accused of _murder. _

The teen leaned back roughly on the bench, running her hands over her face as she let out an exasperated groan. Right as she was about to take another gulp of air into her lungs, two hands shot around Emma's face and covered her mouth with a damp rag. Hazel eyes shot open with panic as a muffled scream tore from her throat, but within seconds specs of black invaded her vision. The hands began to loosen their grip as she faded into unconsciousness.

* * *

Regina stormed into the sheriff's office, eyes ablaze as she stalked up to Graham. "What the hell happened?" The words came out as a snarl, causing the sheriff to wince.

"There was a key in her cell. That's the only explanation there is," he began, confusion evident on his features. "I have no idea how this could have happened. She was gone when I came in this morning."

"How could you be so careless and stupid?" Regina gaped. However, a thought suddenly came to mind and she stopped, placing her hands upon Graham's desk. "This just proves her guilt. Why else would she run?" Perhaps this situation could be of some benefit after all.

"Maybe she's just scared..." Graham breathed, running a nervous hand through his wavy hair.

Eyes narrowing in disbelief at what she was hearing, Regina leaned towards him threateningly, nose only inches from his. "Just _find _her, or you'll find _yourself_ in need of a new job."

* * *

"Emma?"

A worried voice weaved its way into Emma's mind, almost a distant whisper as she began to regain consciousness. She slowly tried to open her eyes, squinting in irritation as dim light invaded her vision. A small moan escaped her parched lips as she attempted to open her eyes a second time.

Blurry images became more detailed as Emma lifted her head and blinked rapidly. "Wha-" Her voice failed her, words faltering as a familiar face came into view.

Two distressed hazel eyes stared at her intently. "Emma... Emma are you alright?" There was so much panic behind the question.

Finally getting her bearings, the teenager focused on the woman in front of her. "Mary Margaret?" she croaked in disbelief. "Wha- what's going on? Where are we?" The older woman was bound to a wooden chair, hands tied in front of her and feet duck taped together tightly.

"I don't know," she stammered out. "Someone left a key in my cell and I just panicked. I ran into the woods and someone... a man I think... knocked me out. I woke up here."

Emma tried to make sense of her words as she began struggling against the ropes binding her to the chair. "Who would leave a key in your cell?" Emma questioned.

"I have no idea. But that's not important right now. We need to get out of here," Mary Margaret breathed out heavily.

"Working on it..." Emma groaned, teeth grinding together as she tried desperately to loosen the ropes around her body.

The sudden sound of a door being opened caused Emma to cease her struggles, and both woman stared fearfully at the man who entered. Through the dim lighting, Emma could tell that he had a square face and disheveled dark hair. Dark shadows lined a pair of tired eyes that Emma could only define as crazed.

"_Finally_, you're awake," the man stated with a large sigh.

"Sorry if my forced unconsciousness was inconvenient for you," Emma snapped harshly without thinking.

The man cackled loudly, the sound deranged. Mary Margaret piped up, trying to sound brave, but a tremble in her tone betrayed her. "What do you want with us?"

The cackles ceased abruptly, a sudden seriousness befalling the man's face. "I want nothing from _you_," he emphasized. "You are simply here as motivation. My real business is with her." He turned to Emma then, arms crossed over his chest.

"What do you need from me?" Emma questioned carefully. "I don't even know you."

"Ah, my darling girl, but I know _you_," he said pointedly, a fanatical grin overtaking his face. "The powerful Savior. You're here a bit early, but you're the key to my dilemma, nonetheless."

Emma regarded the man with cautious eyes, sensing the insanity that flowed off of him. The desperate look in his eyes showed a man intent on getting what he wanted.

"I'm no Savior, whatever that means," Emma began slowly.

"Ah, but you are! And you have magic. Magic that you can use to fix my hat." His hands twitched as he stood otherwise still in the middle of the room. Emma recognized the movement as a type of nervous tick. This man seemed like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode if she said the wrong thing.

"I don't have ma-"

"YES YOU DO!" he suddenly bellowed, crossing the room to stand directly over Emma. Mary Margaret was struggling in her chair, pleading for him to leave Emma alone, but he didn't even regard the older woman. "And you _will _fix my hat."

"Okay... okay..." Emma replied calmly, trying to appease him. "But if you want me to help you, you have to let Mary Margaret go..."

The man cupped his stomach and laughed loudly, head tilted back to accompany the sound. "She gets released after you've done as I've requested," he finally managed to say. As if a switch went of in his mind, his laughing ceased and he grew quiet again. "And if you fail, she will pay the price."

* * *

Regina leaned against the hood of Graham's police car, arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping against the pavement impatiently. Unable to just sit around the office doing paperwork while Mary Margaret was free, she had decided to accompany the officer on his search for her.

Graham was inside Granny's diner, his posture giving off an air of authority as he stood at the counter and questioned Ruby. Regina couldn't hear what was being said, but she could tell when the waitress shook her head that she didn't know where Mary Margaret had run off to.

Scowling, Regina groaned and shoved a frustrated hand through her shoulder-length hair. _Damn this bland world and its inability to allow magic,_ the queen snarled mentally. If Regina were able to access her's, she'd be able to do a simple locator spell. Mary Margaret would be in custody again within the hour.

Graham exited Granny's then, jogging gracefully down the steps. "No one has seen her," he informed Regina with a frustrated sigh.

"The town isn't that big. Where the hell could she have gone?" the mayor remarked harshly. She knew Mary Margaret hadn't left town. If she had tried, her car would be crashed right inside the town line. No one could leave.

Regina's cell phone began to ring, and she withdrew it swiftly from her coat pocket. She had been expecting a tip on Mary Margaret's wearabouts, but was surprised to hear Emma's principle on the other end of the line.

"Ms. Mills? This is Dr. Browning. I just wanted to inform you that Emma never showed up to her class today."

Regina's heart nearly stopped as she felt a rush of fear flood her chest. Graham regarded her sudden change in demeanor with concern. "What do you mean she didn't show up?" the mayor choked out. "She has to be there!"

"I'm sorry Ms. Mills, but she isn't."

Knowing no further answers would come from talking to the woman, Regina hung up the phone.

"Regina, what's wrong?" Graham prompted, but she barely even registered his words.

She could feel nothing but terror as her body began to quiver. Why hadn't Emma shown up for school? Regina had assumed the teen would walk there once she had cleaned up after her morning run, as she preferred to do sometimes. But, this morning had been their first real argument. She had been so occupied with Mary Margaret's escape that she hadn't even thought to go back by the house and check on Emma.

_How selfish can you be?_ The words clawed at Regina's conscience. What if Emma had been overwhelmed with her anger and run off? No, that couldn't be the case. As much as the former queen hated to admit it, Emma would have never abandoned Mary Margaret. She had been so adamant that the woman was innocent. She wouldn't have just left her to be convicted of murder without a fight. That was a quality Emma possessed that made Regina proud. She was a fighter. And above all else, she was loyal.

"Regina!" Graham had grabbed her shoulders and was shaking her. The brunette snapped out of her frenzied state of mind, panic evident on her face as she re-focused on him.

"Emma didn't show up for school..." The words were so weak, and so very unlike Regina. Graham was taken aback by her tone, but quickly recovered.

"It's okay," Graham said confidently, ushering her towards the car. He opened the passenger door for her. "We'll find her."

Regina slid in without protest, still unable to make her body cooperate completely. What if Mary Margaret had kidnapped Emma? Again, the idea was quickly dismissed. The Evil Queen knew Snow White, and woman would _never _do such a thing. She was too good... she was a hero.

Regina barely registered that the car had begun to move. As she lifted a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, the appendage shook violently. If anything had happened to her daughter... her precious, innocent Emma...

A lone tear fell from her eyes and dripped down her left cheek as she barely whispered four words. "Please... _please _be okay..."

* * *

Emma swallowed loudly, eyes falling on Mary Margaret. "Emma, don't listen to him," her friend pleaded.

"Quiet!" The rage within this man was growing, and he regarded Mary Margaret with unstable eyes. Swiftly, he withdrew a handkerchief from his back pocket and gagged the older woman so she could not longer speak.

"Please, leave her alone. I'll fix your hat," Emma shouted to regain his attention. He turned and smiled widely.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it?" As he spoke, he kneeled down to release Emma from the chair and unbind her feet. He then allowed her to stand, leaving her hands bound. "Let's go."

Emma glanced over her shoulder one last time at Mary Margaret before the door was closed and she was being led down a hallway. They approached a room at the end of the hall and he pushed the door open, ushering her through. What Emma saw next cause her to inhale a sharp breath. The room was littered with shelves upon shelves of unfinished, black top hats. There were thousands. A table was placed at the front of the room with fabrics, needles, thread, scissors and hat pieces strewn about the wood. The man unbound Emma's hands and shoved her down into the chair.

Emma looked between him and the table in front of her. Hesitantly, she grabbed a needle with thread, then scanned over the various fabric choices. "So, you want me to make you a hat?" she repeated the request from earlier. "You don't have enough?"

"Well, none of them work, do they?" he remarked, moving around the table to take a seat on the other side. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here. Now, make a hat, and get it to work."

"I don't-"

"You have magic, you can do it." There was the _magic_ word again. This man was most definitely insane.

Emma's eyes wandered the room in order to stall the situation. She noticed a kettle of tea on one of the shelves. A story from her _Once Upon A Time _book came to mind. "The hats... the tea... your psychotic behavior... you think you're the Mad Hatter." The man shifted uncomfortably at her accusation.

"My name is Jefferson."

"Okay..." Emma took a deep breath and placed the needle and thread back down on the table. "The Mad Hatter is a fictional character. He's just part of a story. He's in _Alice In Wonderland..._ a book... a book I actually read." Perhaps she could make this man, Jefferson, see some form of reason long enough to make an escape.

"Stories..." he whispered to himself. "Stories..." his tone rose, accompanied by a scoff. "What's a story? Have you learned about the Civil War in school, yet?"

Emma shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Um.. yeah, of course."

"How? Did you read about it per chance, in a book?" he questioned. "How is that any less real than any other book?"

Emma sighed heavily, raising a hand to massage her temple. A headache knocked at the back of her mind. "History books are based on history..."

"And storybooks are based on what? Imagination? Where's that come from? It had to come from somewhere," Jefferson pointed out rather calmly. He laughed once, as if he couldn't believe he was having to explain himself. "You know what the issue is with this world? Everyone wants some magical solution to their problems, yet everyone refuses to believe in magic. Now, get it to work," he finished flatly, pointing at the materials on the table.

Still not sure how to go about completing the task he required, Emma pushed forward. "Here's the thing..." she began, gesturing around the room. "This is it. This is the real world."

"_A_ real world," he countered. Jefferson stood then, placing his hands firmly upon the desk while looking Emma straight in the eyes. "You're only 15. You should still believe. How arrogant can you be to believe your world is the only one? There are infinite more. You have to _open your mind_. They touch one another, pressing up in a long line of lands, each one as real as the last. All of them have their own rules. Some have magic, some don't, and some _need _magic. Like this one." He slowly grabbed a pair of scissors, pointing them straight at Emma. She instinctively pressed her back firmly against her chair. "And that's where you come in. You and your friend are not leaving here until you _make _my _hat. _Until you get it to work."

Jefferson threw the scissors back down onto the table. With a frustrated sigh, he moved over towards a window on the far wall and crossed his arms firmly over his chest, looking out. If she couldn't convince Jefferson that he wasn't the Mad Hatter, then perhaps she could appeal to his wish for her to believe. Standing loudly up from the chair so as not to startle Jefferson and provoke a violent reaction, Emma moved around the table in a forced timid manner, eyes cast down towards the floor. The older man regarded her with wary eyes as she began to speak.

"You're right..." Emma breathed, lifting her gaze to meet his eyes. "Maybe if I want magic, I have to start believing."

Jefferson allowed a genuine half-smile to grace his features. He nodded a few times and when he spoke again, his tone was broken with hope. "So, you're going to help me... you can get it to work?" He seemed so hopeful and genuine that Emma almost felt sorry for what she was about to do next.

"I can try..." she responded gently. Smiling, he turned around momentarily to grab a hat that would serve as an example for Emma. But, when he did, Emma grasped a telescope that had been set up by the window and swung it with all her strength, hitting Jefferson on the back of the head. He slumped to the floor, unconscious. "That's for kidnapping me and threatening Mary Margaret!" Emma taunted.

She noticed a gun tucked in a hoister on his belt and she quickly moved to grab it. Thankfully, one of the rougher kids in a past foster home had taught her how to use one in exchange for a pack of cigarettes. She had figured it might come in handy one day since she had no one to look out for her, and today was that day.

With the gun in hand, Emma bolted from the room and back to where Mary Margaret was tied up. A look of relief flooded the woman's face when Emma busted through the door. She was still gagged, eyes wild with worry.

"Hang on!" Emma quickly took the handkerchief out of her mouth and then reached around Mary Margaret to untie the rope holding her to the chair. "Are you o-" Her question was cut off by Mary Margret's scream. "Emma, look out!"

Before she had a chance to turn around, Jefferson came barreling into the room like a line backer, colliding with his full body weight into Emma and Mary Margaret. The gun was knocked out of her hands and a gust of air burst from her lungs as they toppled to the floor. Recovering rapidly, the teen began crawling for the gun, but Jefferson grabbed her feet and pulled her backwards. He pushed himself to his feet and grabbed a handful of Emma's long hair, yanking hard. She gasped in pain before shoving her head backwards, satisfied with the crack that sounded as she made impact with his nose.

She flipped onto her back, hands reaching for Jefferson's face. She pushed against his chin as he wrapped his fingers around her neck, beginning to squeeze. While she knew how to fight, this man outweighed Emma by a lot and had much more muscle mass. She was using all of her strength to push him off of her, but his tightening fingers were cutting off her airway.

In a last ditch effort, Emma brought her knee up to hit him hard in the stomach, but this only infuriated the man more. He grabbed a handful of Emma's hair again and yanked her to her feet, using the momentum to swing her around and send her sailing into the wall. Her back met the surface roughly, and air burst forth from her lungs as she regarded Jefferson with fear-filled eyes. He had retrieved his gun and was panting heavily, aiming the metal directly at her chest.

A crazed look re-entered his eyes then as a delusional smile crossed his face. "Off with his head," he chuckled. Emma recognized the statement from _Alice In Wonderland._

Just as his finger twitched upon the trigger, Emma noticed Mary Margaret getting to her feet behind Jefferson. She reared back, a piece of her broken chair in her hands, and hit the man with all of her strength. As soon as he stumbled, she kicked him in the stomach with her foot. Jefferson grunted and toppled backwards, glass shattering as he fell through one of the windows in the room.

Emma ran to Mary Margaret then, knocking them both off balance momentarily as she embraced her tightly. The older woman regarded Emma with worry, pulling back to look over her. "Are you okay? Where did you learn to fight like that?" she gasped.

Even though it was completely inappropriate given she had almost just died, Emma couldn't help but chuckle. "The foster system had its perks."

Relief flooded her features as she pulled Emma in again to hug her tightly. Refusing to let the teen go even for a second, Mary Margaret pulled her along in a side embrace to look out the window. She buried Emma's face in her chest, cupping the younger girl's head protectively so she wouldn't be able to see what Mary Margaret assumed would be a bloody dead body on the ground below. But, where there should have been a body, there was only shattered glass. She scanned the tree line, but Jefferson was no where to be found.

* * *

**Hello! I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed on this story. I'm so glad to see that people are enjoying it. If anyone has any questions about anything, feel free to ask. I will be out of town for the next few days, so I probably won't be able to post another chapter until early next week.**

**I hope everyone has a good weekend! See y'all soon!**

**-Newfi**


	7. Mom

**Hi all! Sorry for the delayed update. I was traveling this past weekend and have another big trip coming up at the end of the month, so I'm having to devote a lot of my time to planning. Updates may be slow over the next few weeks due to this. **

**On a separate note, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you don't find it too _mushy-gushy_, but I wanted to establish a turning point in Emma and Regina's relationship. **

**Again, I don't have a beta reader, so any and all mistakes are my own. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!**

**Chapter 7: Mom**

Mary Margaret followed Emma out the front door of Jefferson's mansion, pausing at the bottom of the porch steps to gaze back up towards the house while Emma jogged ahead to the tree line. "Where could he have gone?" Emma panted.

"I have no idea, but we should get out of here before he comes back," Mary Margaret said pointedly. Emma nodded in agreement and the two began walking briskly down the driveway towards the main road. Once they made it to the road, Mary Margaret began to turn in the direction of town, but Emma grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait, you can't go back. They'll just lock you up again," the blonde protested with a frown.

Sighing, Mary Margaret ran a troubled hand through her pixie cut. "I should have never run away, Emma, key or no key."

"But you were just scared," Emma protested. "I would have done the same thing if I was being accused of a murder I didn't commit."

"So you believe I'm innocent?"

"Of course! You could never kill someone," Emma scoffed. "You don't even like to kill bugs."

At that statement, the brunette couldn't help but bark a laugh. "You have a point there."

"I just can't believe people think you did it," Emma sighed in disbelief. "They've all known you a lot longer than I have, and to me it's a no-brainer that you're innocent."

"Well, I appreciate that, Emma," Mary Margaret cooed gently. "And that is precisely the reason I can't run. I've already made myself look more guilty as it is."

Emma nodded in understanding, beginning the walk towards town again. "Well, we need to figure out a way to prove you're innocent. How did Dr. Whale's heart end up in your jewelry box?"

"I honestly have no idea. I don't switch my jewelry very often, so I rarely pay attention to the box. Someone must have come in when I wasn't home and taken it," Mary Margaret confirmed thoughtfully. "I mean, I do volunteer on the weekends at the hospital. And I'm at the school all morning and afternoon during the week, so my apartment is empty more times than not."

"Do you have any enemies? Anyone that doesn't like you?" Emma queried. Mary Margaret took a few minutes to mentally pick through the people she knew in town. There was only one person she knew didn't like her - Regina. She would never admit that to Emma, though.

"No, no one that I can think of," she finally answered. The image on Whale's face entered her mind, and she winced. "I know he wasn't a great man, but I can't believe Whale is dead."

Emma took in Mary Margaret's defeated posture and reached a hand out to grasp her shoulder, offering a small squeeze. "I know, but it isn't your fault. Let's avenge his death by figuring out who really killed him."

Mary Margaret regarded her with watery eyes, breathing in roughly as she nodded. Suddenly, the sound of tires caught her attention, and she jerked her head to see a car coming over the horizon. "Emma, look."

"That's the sheriff's car," Emma said in excitement, but her mood quickly dampened. "He'll take you back to the station," she added with disdain.

"It'll be okay. We'll figure this out. I promise." Emma knew her friend really couldn't make that promise, but she chose to believe her nonetheless.

The sheriff's car came to a screeching halt just ahead of the pair, and while both were expecting Graham to come barreling out of the driver's side, Emma's eyes fell on a familiar figure that nearly stumbled out of the passenger door. "Emma!"

The blonde's breath caught in her throat as Regina came running towards her, high heels clicking rapidly against the pavement. "Regina!" Emma found herself running forward without thinking and she collided with Regina roughly, burying her face within the crook of the older woman's neck and shoulder. A sudden sob wracked through her body, the weight of what she and Mary Margaret had just experience crashing down upon her. She had almost just _died_.

Regina wrapped her arms around Emma's shaking form and held her as tightly as she could manage, her hands gripping the fabric of the teen's shirt in earnest. Her face became buried amongst Emma's long tendrils and she breathed in deeply, savoring the familiar scent of her daughter. Emma was _here and alive. _She was _okay. _Tears threatened to spill from Regina's eyes at this realization, but she inhaled deeply to keep them contained. "Emma, you scared the hell out of me," Regina croaked, finally pulled back to cup Emma's cheeks firmly in her palms. "Where have you been? What happened?" Her brown hues raced between Emma and Mary Margaret, who Sheriff Graham was already detaining.

"It's not what you think," Emma coughed out, trying desperately to collect herself. She placed her own hands over Regina's and begged with her eyes for the older woman to listen. "This man... he- he kidnapped us. Mary Margaret saved my life..."

"...Saved your life?" Regina barked with wide eyes. "What- are you alright?" She momentarily forgot about Mary Margaret and scanned Emma's body, checking for signs of injury. She brushed hair away from Emma's shoulders, taking in the image of angry purple bruises beginning to develop around her throat. "What-" She traced them gently with her own fingers, her heart dropping as Emma winced. "Oh my- Emma... I'm so sorry I wasn't there..." Her words caught in her throat, eyes glistening.

Emma grabbed Regina's fingers, gently guiding them away from the bruises. "It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known."

Regina stared at the brave young woman before her and, not knowing what else to do, pulled her in for another large embrace. She wanted... _needed_... answers, but she wouldn't push Emma right now. Mary Margaret caught her attention then, and while keeping Emma in a protective side embrace, Regina turned to face her nemesis. "Explain," she bit out harshly.

Mary Margaret winced at her tone, but nodded. "A man, he called himself..."

"-Jefferson," Emma rasped for her.

"...Yes, Jefferson. He thinks himself to be the Mad Hatter." Mary Margaret noticed a change in Regina's expression, but chose to ignore and push forward. "He kidnapped me after I... ran. There was a key in my cell, maybe he put it there... I don't know..."

"I don't care about your escape, _Ms. Blanchard_," the mayor growled. "I want to know what happened to Emma."

The teacher nodded meekly, but Emma suddenly cut in. Her voice was beginning to sound hoarse, and Regina's eyebrows furrowed in worry. "He wanted me to fix his hat. He was insane. He thought I had magic."

Regina felt as though her heart had stopped. She knew exactly who Emma and Mary Margaret were referring to, but she hadn't seen the man in years. He kept to himself, hidden away with the punishment of knowing _exactly _who he was, and with the power to do nothing to change things. Why would he think that Emma could make things different? She was only a child. Regina's thoughts were interrupted as Mary Margaret started talking again.

"Emma got away and came to free me. He attacked us both, but we got away..."

"No, we didn't just _get away_," Emma protested with a frown, swallowing harshly. Her gaze moved slowly from Mary Margaret back to Regina. "He was going to shoot me. Mary Margaret stopped him. She saved my life."

_Emma had almost been... shot? Her daughter... her innocent Emma, had been close to death? _A sudden rage grew within Regina, a fire licking at her insides, igniting vengeance behind her hardening eyes. _He had laid his hands on her. Jefferson had nearly taken away the only thing she cared about in the world._

"Take her back to the station and lock her up," Regina said flatly.

Emma's eyes widened in shock and panic, and she began to shake her head vehemently. "No! You can't!" Graham grabbed Mary Margaret's arm, ushering her towards the car.

"Emma, it's okay," her friend tried to say in a convincing tone.

"No, it's not!" Emma tried to run after Graham, but Regina wrapped her arms around Emma from behind and held on tightly. "You can't do this!" the teen cried.

Sheriff Graham put Mary Margaret into the back seat and then turned back to face a nearly hysterical Emma and conflicted Regina.

"Take her. Send for a car to come get us," Regina ordered. Graham nodded and then retreated to the driver's seat.

"No! Please! She doesn't deserve this!" Emma began to collapse from the weight of her worries and from exhaustion, falling backwards into Regina's embrace. As the car vanished over the horizon, Regina slowly sunk down onto the road with her, holding on tightly.

"Emma, I'm sorry, but she's still being investigated for murder, and she ran," the mayor tried carefully.

"She didn't kill anyone!" Emma gasped, her form shaking violently from sobs that were overtaking her body. She could do nothing more than slump forward in defeat, only being held up by Regina.

"But she nearly got _you _killed!" Regina yelled back, but she rapidly tried to get control of her tone. Panic ceased her heart at the thought of coming upon Emma's dead body, eyes blank and skin cold. She tightened her grip on Emma, laying her cheek against the younger girl's back. "Emma, you don't understand... I don't know what I would do if I lost you. When I found out you hadn't gone to school today... well, I haven't felt that kind of fear in a long time. I just... I _can't _lose you." Her voice cracked, and she found herself unable to continue.

Emma's body slowly began to stop shaking. The silence was agonizing for the next few moments, only broken when Emma moved to leave Regina's embrace. Regina found herself wanting to hold on, to secure Emma to her so that she couldn't run away, but regardless of her thoughts, her arms loosened.

Instead of standing to leave, Emma shifted so that she was perched upon her shins and facing the older woman. Regina dropped her gaze to the road, unable to process the emotions clawing at her insides. She wanted to embrace Emma again... to make all of her worries go away. But at the same time, she wanted to _scream. _She wanted to scream until her lungs no longer housed air and to rip this forest apart tree by tree until she found Jefferson and made him _suffer._ She wanted to hear the satisfying sounds of his bones snapping and revel in his cries for mercy. She would...

Emma threw herself forward, trapping Regina in a hug that instantly vanquished all thoughts of revenge. The embrace was so tight that Regina found it difficult to breathe, but yet she found herself craving the affection nonetheless. Regina hugged her back, the anger inside of her fading for the time being. Emma was here. She was okay, and that's all that mattered at the moment.

"You're not going to lose me," she heard the young girl breathe quietly.

Emma paused, contemplating what to say next. She had been running away her whole life... from her past... her inability to connect with others... her inability to trust. But Regina, regardless of her faults and infuriating attitude at times, had become a part of Emma's life that she wasn't willing to lose. She had been _so angry _with Regina this morning, and yet the mere site of the woman had brought all of Emma's walls down. She was so raw with emotion at the moment... in a state no one had ever seen her in before. She felt exposed and weak, yet there was something about Regina that made her feel safe. Regina made her feel wanted. She made her feel important and... _loved. _

"You're my _mom_. Nothing could take me away from you," Emma finally finished, her voice barely a whisper. The former queen froze, eyes widening at the title Emma had just bestowed upon her. She felt her heart swell, but at the same time, her stomach clenched. Mom... was she ready for the responsibility that came with that title? For opening herself up completely to the love of a daughter? For allowing herself the cripple of having such a weakness... a person that her enemies could use against her?

Yes... she was ready for it. She was ready for _all _of it.

She saw worry flash across Emma's hazel hues, obviously wondering if she had said the wrong thing, and Regina instantly felt the need to reassure her. "You're right, Emma. You are my daughter and nothing... I mean _nothing_... will ever take you away from me. I will protect you, always."

Emma smiled and quirked an eyebrow, feeling the need to lighten the mood a bit. "I don't know... you should have seen me earlier. I was pretty bad ass. I might be the one doing the protecting," she chuckled lightly. Regina could only scoff in return, shaking her head slowly. There was the quirky, confident teenager she knew so well.

Emma's face suddenly grew serious again, and Regina bit her bottom lip in anticipation at what she knew her daughter was about to say. "You and I aren't the only ones that need protection right now," she began slowly, meeting Regina's eyes. "Mary Margaret needs our help."

When the mayor opened her mouth to protest, Emma cut her off. "She _didn't _kill Dr. Whale," she continued with purpose. "If you really care about me... if you really consider me your daughter... you'll help me prove her innocence," Emma finished, her eyes filled with pleading.

Regina gazed back at the blonde for a long moment. She did care about Emma... more than herself... more than anyone or anything, but Mary Margaret _deserved _this. She deserved to rot for what she had done to Daniel so many years ago. She needed to pay for her actions, but as much as she hated to admit it, she knew losing Mary Margaret would break Emma. The stability that Mary Margaret had offered Emma through friendship would be shattered, and her walls would erect themselves again with vengeance.

"Please, mom..." Emma tried again.

Regina found herself replaying the moment that she had stepped out of the sheriff's vehicle and felt Emma's body collide with her own. The young girl had been so stoic and strong up until the point they had embraced one another. Only when Regina had shown up did Emma's walls crash down, allowing her emotions to spill forth openly. Yes, Mary Margaret was her _friend_, but Regina was the one she trusted most... she was her _mother_.

"Okay," the brunette finally breathed, her head dipping in defeat. Mary Margaret still had no idea who she was, and her true love still laid helpless in a coma. That would have to be enough, at least for now. "I believe you. We'll figure this out."

* * *

It was nearing 9pm as Regina sat silently on the edge of her bed, one leg tucked beneath her and the other hanging casually off the side. She stared at the phone placed on the comforter in front of her, fingers drumming against her thigh.

Emma was showering just down the hall, ridding herself of the burdens from earlier in the day. This was the first time she had let Emma out of her site since finding her with Mary Margaret on the side of the road. She would glue herself to the teen again once she had finished cleaning up, but for now, she was left alone with her thoughts.

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Regina rolled her dark orbs and finally reached for the phone, dialing Sidney's number before she changed her mind again. A gruff, tired voice answered on the other end of the line. "Yes, Regina?"

Regina quirked a brow at the man's tone, but chose to ignore his insolence. Emma would be getting out of the shower soon. "Let him go."

A scoff of disbelief sounded through the line. "Are you kidding me?"

Regina inhaled sharply and bit her bottom lip to keep from snapping at the idiot. "Do I _sound _like I'm kidding?"

Sidney cleared his throat, completely aware that he was pushing her limits, and spoke in an obedient tone. "Of course not. What has changed?"

"It doesn't matter," Regina snapped, growing tired of this conversation. "Let him go. We have no ties to the cabin. He can concoct whatever story he wants, but there's no way he can involve me or you. I just need you to let him go. Pretend none of this ever happened."

"But I don't..."

"Sidney, do it or so help me, I will pin this all on you," Regina hissed in a hushed tone. She could hear a door opening, signaling Emma was out of the shower. "Release him, _tonight_." And with that, she hung up the phone.

The mayor resisted the urge to chunk the small device against her bedroom wall. All of her planning and her chance to get rid of Snow for good, gone... just like that. _You're doing this for Emma..._ she reminded herself mentally.

Unwilling to have Emma out of her sight any longer, Regina stood and made her way towards the bedroom on the opposite end of the hallway. She knocked gently before pushing the cracked door open. What she saw caused her to inhale sharply.

Emma was dressed in black tights and a red sports bra, rummaging through one of her dresser drawers for a night top. A deep brown and purple bruise covered the right side of her torso over her ribs. Emma's breaths seemed shorter than normal, as if the movement of her ribs hurt. Her wet hair was also pulled back into a messy bun, revealing finger-shaped bruises around her throat. "Oh, Emma..."

The blonde looked up in confusion for a moment, but realization hit her when she followed Regina's gaze. "It's nothing," she lied.

"It's not nothing," Regina argued, moving deeper into the room. "Are you hurting? Could anything be broken?" Regina instinctively extended a hand to touch the bruise, but she stopped herself before actually doing so, afraid the contact might hurt.

Emma shook her head as she carefully pulled an over-sized t-shirt on. The movement was uncomfortable, but not near what it would feel like if she had broken a rib. "Nothing is broken." She climbed into bed and pulled the comforter over herself, eying Regina who continued to stand beside the dresser awkwardly. As an invitation, Emma patted the empty space on the bed beside her.

Regina smiled and joined Emma, climbing under the sheets. Only when Emma curled into her side and laid her head on her shoulder, did Regina return the affection and wrap her arms around her. She rested her cheek on the top of Emma's damp head, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Emma stayed silent, but this was a comfortable quiet. They were just enjoying each other's company, finding comfort in the presence of one another.

"I'm sorry..."

The quiet statement caught Regina off guard, and she drew back to look down at Emma. "For what?"

"For this morning. I shouldn't have talked to you like that. I was just really scared for Mary Margaret, but that's still no excuse," Emma explained further, hazel eyes conveying the sincerity behind her words.

Regina drew her back into a hug, rubbing a hand up and down Emma's tricep. "You don't need to be sorry. We'll figure this whole mess out."

She could feel Emma's head bob as she nodded. "Do you know the guy that kidnapped us? Did he escape from the psych ward or something?" she questioned.

"No, not really," Regina lied through her teeth. The feeling of guilt settled in her stomach. This whole town was built on lies... lies that she would never be able to tell Emma. "You said he accused you of having magic?" Regina queried.

"Yeah, like I said, he was insane. He had thousands of hats in one of the rooms. He said I could make one and get it to work," Emma shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly what he expected a _hat _to do."

The guilt Regina felt was suddenly accompanied by worry. Why would Jefferson think Emma had magic? Perhaps he just assumed that Regina, the Evil Queen full of dark magic, had adopted the girl for a reason. But this was a world without magic, so maybe Jefferson's memories had finally just made him crack. Either way, she would find him, and she would _end _him for hurting Emma. Perhaps he could take the room below the hospital that was meant for Snow.

"Whatever his goal was, he won't ever lay a hand on you again," Regina promised.

"I know." Those two words were filled with so much trust, and Regina found herself drawing Emma closer. "Thank you."

Again, the younger girl had caused Regina to pause in contemplation. "For what?" she questioned yet again.

"For keeping your promise. For not giving up on me." The words were slurred, indicating that Emma was falling asleep. Regina remained quiet, allowing her to rest. She honestly could not fathom how other foster parents had given Emma back. She was so special and so strong. Perhaps those two qualities were just too much for any normal family to handle. But one thing was for certain- Emma would never see the inside of a foster home again. She had a place in Storybrooke and in Regina's life, now and forever.

* * *

***The next morning, 9am***

"Emma..." Regina practically groaned, rolling her eyes as she was tugged along by the eager teen. "You know I'm not a social person..."

"If you won't let me go to school today, and you won't let me out of your sight to go on a run, then we are _going _to Granny's _together _for breakfast," Emma answered strictly. Regina huffed and continued to let Emma drag her down the sidewalk towards the middle of town.

It was true, the older woman outright refused to let Emma out of her sight after the previous day. Her instincts were on edge, and she didn't want to give Jefferson another opportunity to kidnap Emma. But oh... she _dared _him to try while she was around. She would _end him _with pleasure.

"You don't have to talk to anyone. But I can't stay cooped up in the house all day. I'll go insane," Emma continued.

"Well, we wouldn't want that..." Regina muttered under her breath.

As the two women rounded a corner and Granny's came into view, a sudden gut-wrenching scream stopped both of them in their tracks. Emma's eyes widened, panic overtaking them. "That was Ruby!" And just like that, she took off at a sprint.

"Emma!" Regina yelled, but she knew it was no use. Instead, she ran after her insanely fast daughter. She lost sight of Emma for a few seconds as the blonde cut down the alleyway neighboring Granny's. Panic enveloped her core and she pushed herself faster. "Emma Swan!" she tried again more sternly.

Just as she entered the mouth of the alley, she saw Emma come to a sudden halt beside Ruby, both of the young women staring down at a beaten-up figure. "Oh my gosh, it's Dr. Whale!" Emma rasped out in shock.

As Regina slowed to a walk and carefully approached, Ruby leaned down to help the man sit up. "What the hell happened to you? Where have you been? Everyone thought you were dead!" Ruby sputtered out rapidly.

Whale's eyes were squinted as he attempted to recognize everyone. He brought a hand to his forehead, a headache clearly plaguing him. "Dead?" he questioned, disbelief littering his tone. "No, someone knocked me out after my shift... they kept me locked away in the basement of some cabin in the woods."

"Who did?" Emma piped up.

"I-I don't know..." A breath that Regina didn't know she had been holding suddenly escaped from her lungs. _Good, he knew nothing_. "It was so dark. Whoever it was- they forgot to lock the door last night. I- I ran," he finished. "I guess I passed out here."

Regina leaned down and placed a comforting hand on Whale's shoulder, falling into mayor-mode. "We need to get you to the hospital." Dr. Whale nodded meekly, even that motion seeming to cause discomfort. Ruby and Emma both draped his arms over their shoulders and moved to help him stand. "I'll call Sheriff Graham," Regina added as she withdrew her cell phone. He would be out searching for Jefferson right now as Regina had ordered, so she wasn't sure where in town he was at the moment.

"Wait..." Emma gasped, eyes suddenly lighting up. "He's alive... this means... Mary Margaret- she didn't do it! She's innocent!" There was so much relief behind the blonde's words. As much as she despised Snow, Regina couldn't help but be comforted by Emma's happiness. The mayor offered a small smile and nodded once before moving away to call Graham.

Emma smiled wider than she had in a long time, so wide that her cheeks began to ache. She _knew _it. Mary Margaret hadn't killed Dr. Whale. There were still so many unanswered questions, but she _hadn't _done it. She could be released. She could go home.

* * *

After dropping Dr. Whale off at the hospital for an evaluation, and with the intention of returning later to question the man, Sheriff Graham drove Emma and Regina to the sheriff's office. Emma burst out of the car before it even came to a complete stop and sprinted into the building.

"Mary Margaret!" Her yell of excitement echoed throughout the stairwell, her feet bounding against the concrete stairs as she ascended them. She screamed again, unable to contain herself. "Mary Margaret!"

The teacher was on her feet and gripping the cell's bars when Emma busted through the main door. "Emma, what is it?" she asked with growing worry.

"You're innocent!" she heaved, trying to catch her breath. "I mean, I always knew you were innocent, but now there's proof!" Emma came to a stop in front of the cell, gripping the metal bars tightly.

Mary Margaret looked taken aback. "Emma, slow down. What do you mean, proof?" she questioned.

Graham entered the station them, following closely by Regina. "Dr. Whale showed up in the alley outside of Granny's this morning," Graham began to explain. "He's not dead."

A gasp of relief loudly left Mary Margaret's lips, and she nearly lost the ability to remain standing at the sudden realization of what this news meant. She would be a free woman again. People would stop looking at her like she was a murderer.

Emma had tears of joy running down her flushed cheeks. Mary Margaret found herself contemplating what she had done to deserve the loyalty and admiration of such an amazing young woman? Then, her hazel hues fell on Regina, who seemed somewhat agitated by the strong emotions flooding the room. The mayor did meet her eyes for a moment though, and she nodded once in agreement with Graham's statement.

The sheriff stepped up beside Emma and withdrew a set of keys from his back pocket, a genuine smile coating his lips. He hadn't believed the school teacher was capable of murder, but he had been stuck between a rock and a hard place. "You're free to go," he grinned, unlocking the cell with a loud click.

Before the door had even been opened completely, Emma pushed past and captured Mary Margaret in a bear hug, to which the pixie-haired woman returned with earnest. "See, I told you things would work out," Mary Margaret chuckled breathlessly.

Emma could only respond with a small sob, her grip tightening even more around the older woman. She lifted her gaze to check Regina's reaction to this whole scene. Surprisingly, she seemed relatively calm, but kept a respectful distance. She had her hands tucked within the pockets of her suit pants, eyes cast towards the floor.

Emma re-gained her attention as she pulled out of the hug, rapidly wiping away a stray tear. "Let's go celebrate," she directed. "Lunch at Granny's."

Mary Margaret noticed Regina visibly stiffen, her shoulders becoming more squared, but the usually blatant woman still remained silent. The school teacher felt perplexed. Where was this sudden control coming from? Normally, she would have yanked Emma away in earnest and would have laid Mary Margaret's ears back.

Emma shifted to face Regina then, holding out a hand towards the former queen. "...All of us," she added with a small smile. Regina lifted her gaze, eyes widening momentarily as she looked between her daughter and her enemy.

"Emma... you know I don't-"

But the teen cut Regina off with a firm shake of her head. "No, mom. You're coming. Please. We want you there. _I_ want you there."

Mary Margaret felt her heart swell as she heard Emma refer to Regina as her mom. Regina _needed _this relationship. She could already tell that Emma was softening the powerful woman's walls. This was a good thing... for Emma, for Regina, for _everyone. _

Regina sighed in defeat and ran a hand nervously through her hair, but finally stiffly nodded. Emma's smiled widened even further. "Sheriff Graham, you too! This is something we should all be celebrating together!"

The man offered up a sideways smile and chuckled, watching as Emma drew Mary Margaret into a side hug and walked with her towards the exit. He noticed the school teacher squeeze Emma's shoulder affectionately, and then place a motherly kiss upon the top of her head. Curious, and a tad afraid as well, Graham turned to see Regina's reaction. She was tense, her lips set in a hard, straight line, but she lacked the homicidal look that sometimes plagued her eyes when it came to her jealousy and protectiveness over Emma. "She's special," he offered gently.

Regina blinked rapidly a couple of times, as if jolted from thought. "What?" she questioned, her eyes slowly peeling themselves from the doorway.

"Emma, she's a special girl," he explained again.

Regina's lips rose gently at the corners, and she began to follow the pair that had vanished down the stairs. "Yes, she is. She's very special. I'm lucky that she's mine."

As Graham followed, he noted that Regina's words were genuine. Her tone lacked its normal possessive edge, instead sounding almost relaxed. It was a simple statement- one filled with confidence and one that lacked self-doubt. Emma had an effect on the woman that no one else would ever have. Emma's arrival was changing Regina for the better. Unknowingly, the young woman was molding and shaping Regina into the woman that she truly wanted to be.


	8. The Storybook

**Hi all! I know I said updates would probably be slower, and they probably will be soon, but I couldn't wait to write this chapter.**

**_SpurBoy_: Wow, thank you so much for all the reviews! I wanted to try and clarify a few things for you without giving away too much. Henry will be in this story eventually. I'm working on all of the specifics now. Also, I hope this chapter will shed a little light on Emma's headaches. It won't necessarily provide a direct answer, but it should help you understand better. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.**

**So, without further ado...**

**Chapter 8: The Storybook**

* * *

_*5 months later, early June*_

Two sneakered feet padded fairly quietly down the sidewalk, the repetitive sound accompanied by heavy breathing. Emma's damp pony tail swayed from side-to-side with the movement of her running strides. Although she rarely noticed her long locks while focused on her exercise, the tension on the back of her head was particularly annoying this morning. With each sway came a pang of discomfort inside her head, as if her brain was rattling within the confines of her skull.

_Great, just what I need, a headache. _The blonde's thoughts were cut off as the pain started to become more intense. She winced, drawing a hand up to put pressure on a temple while she ran. The music that wove through her earphones and shoved its way towards her eardrums started to become a nuisance rather than a welcomed partner to pass the time, so she swiftly yanked the chord to rid her mind of the incessant beats.

Thankfully, her home came into view as she rounded a final corner, slowing to a walk in hopes of appeasing the growing pain. The change in pace did just the opposite, allowing the headache to overtake her mind completely, pressure building in places she didn't even know existed. A groan subconsciously left the blonde's lips as she ventured up the porch steps and through the front door, kicking her shoes off in the entryway.

"Emma, no shoes in the middle of the floor!" she heard a familiar voice chastise from the kitchen. Regina had grown accustomed to Emma's messy habits and knew the sound of shoes hitting the hardwood.

"I'll move them in a minute," Emma called back, an edge accompanying her words that hadn't been intentional. Before Regina could question her tone, Emma ascended the stairs two at a time and slipped into her bathroom, closing the door behind her. The pressure continued to build in Emma's head, even beginning to invoke a nauseous feeling in her stomach. She pinched the bridge of her nose and hurried to fumble with the mirror above her sink, pulling one side open to reveal a small set of shelves. The bottle of ibuprofen sat ready in the lower corner. Swallowing deeply to counteract the tightening in her throat, Emma twisted the cap off and popped three of the pills into her mouth, forcing them down her throat dry.

Hoping the meds would soon take effect, Emma turned the shower on and allowed the water to warm while stripping out of her sweaty running clothes. As soon as she was free of the fabrics, the teen climbed into the shower, drew the sliding door closed, and collapsed in a heap on the tiled floor. She bent forward, wrapping her hands around her shins, and rested her forehead against her knees. The water pounded firmly against her shoulders and back from overhead, slowly soaking her hair.

The headache continued to raid Emma's mind, throbbing and shoving its way around without care. Thankfully, Emma had learned over time that sitting in this position would hold back the worst of the nausea that accompanied her headaches. The headaches used to only be a problem in the early evenings, and were limited to the area surrounding her sinuses. Now, though, the headaches were unpredictable, encompassed every inch of her brain, and there seemed to be no triggers. Only time and medication could lessen them.

As the pressure seemed to ease somewhat, Emma lifted her head and slumped to the side, letting her cheek and right arm press against the cool tile. She welcomed the sensation of the water cascading over her forehead and face.

A knock on the bathroom door caused Emma to jump, and she hissed as the movement made her brain feel like it was rattling against her skull. "Emma, are you alright?" came Regina's worried tone.

Emma used her hand to wipe her face and then block the spray of water from hitting her so that she could speak. "I'm fine." Her words came our cracked and tight though, and Emma silently cursed her voice for betraying her.

"You don't sound fine," Regina retorted. "Are you sick? Is it a headache?" She was pressed against the outside of the door, ears strained to hear Emma's response.

As the headaches had begun to worsen and occur at unpredictable times, Emma had been forced to let Regina in on the secret she had been keeping. Being the severely overprotective mom that she was, she had dragged Emma to the hospital and had directed Dr. Whale to figure out what was wrong. After numerous tests and blood work, nothing of importance had been found. Whale had chalked it down to stress and suggested taking ibuprofen when she felt the pain coming on. Fast forward to the present, and the headaches seemed to be growing more prominent.

"Just a headache..." Emma sighed, dropping her head against the tile again. The pain was becoming less intense and she knew the headache would fade away soon enough.

"Can I get you anything?" Regina questioned. She knew what Emma's answer would be. Nothing really helped her headaches except time.

"No, but thank you. It's getting better. I'll be down for breakfast in a bit." Emma could hear Regina sigh in defeat and then noted the clicking of heels become fainter until the sounds vanished completely. Knowing now for a fact that Regina wouldn't barge in to check on her, Emma slowly and carefully got to her feet. Testing with a slight tilt of her head, she was delighted to feel no throbbing pressure in return. Knowing the worst was over, Emma hurried to finish her shower and then retreated to her bedroom for clothes.

Emma settled on a pair of skinny jeans and a flowy tank top, accompanied by an old pair of sandals. Unwilling to pull her hair back just yet in fear of re-aggravating her fading headache, Emma let her hair down from the towel and ran a hand through it gently, allowing the wet tendrils to fall naturally over her shoulders and down her back. Satisfied, she made her way downstairs to appease Regina's worries. As expected, the brunette hopped up from her stool as soon as she entered the kitchen.

"How are you feeling? Better?" Brown eyes scanned over Emma in concern.

"I'm fine mom, really. You worry too much," Emma waved off, offering her a small smirk. She moved to sit down in front of a plate filled with eggs and bacon, just as Regina had prepared for her every morning.

"I worry just enough," Regina countered with a quirked eyebrow. "I don't understand why you always have headaches."

Emma popped a fork-full of eggs into her mouth and shrugged. "No idea," she muttered through her food.

"Emma, please, mouth closed when you're chewing," Regina sighed outwardly, sinking back down onto her stool.

"Oh, sorry," Emma replied, but then she realized her mouth was still full. Unable to contain herself, she covered her mouth with her hand and laughed. "Oops, sorry again." Regina gave her an incredulous look, but couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"So, what are your plans for today?" the older woman queried. Emma opened her full mouth to respond, but immediately snapped it closed and swallowed at a pointed look from Regina. After getting rid of the eggs, she continued.

"Babysitting," she piped. "Ava and her dad are going to have a father-daughter day. She practically begged me to watch Nick."

Regina scoffed louder than she had intended, her brows rising as she brought her mug of coffee to her lips. Emma frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Regina mused, standing to deposit her empty plate in the dishwasher.

"No, no..." Emma replied tersely. She paused, contemplating why Regina suddenly seemed amused. "You don't think I can handle Nick for the day," she finally gasped in disbelief.

"I never said that," Regina pointed out, snapping the dishwasher closed. She turned around to face her daughter, leaning back against the counter.

"But you thought it," Emma playfully countered. She picked up a piece or bacon and ripped off a big bite, chewing slowly. "He's just a boy. I can handle a boy. I see him all the time. He likes me."

Regina couldn't help but bark out another laugh. "Just a boy? Just as you are _just a girl_?" she smirked. "And you seem to like me Emma, but that doesn't mean you've made me being your mother any easier."

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but unable to come up with an argument, furrowed her brows and let it fall closed again. "Fair enough," she dismissed with a wave of her hand. "But, I can still handle him."

"Alright, alright, I believe you," the mayor surrendered, her hands risen to accompany her point.

"Good," Emma grinned. She hopped down from her stool and deposited her own plate in the dishwasher before turning to peck Regina on the cheek. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a little boy to pick up."

"Just stay out of trouble," the brunette sighed, her voice heavy.

Emma peeked back around the corner she had just turned. "Me, trouble? Why would you even think such a thing?" And with that, Emma popped back out of site. Regina chuckled to herself and moved to begin getting ready for work. Summer may have started for Emma, but she still had mayor duties to attend to.

* * *

"So, what do you want to do today, kid?" Emma ruffled Nick's hair as they walked down the sidewalk. He swatted at her hand and wrinkled his nose at her.

"I'm not a kid," he protested. "I want to go to the park. Did you bring the storybook?"

Emma patted her bag and nodded. "Yup, as always."

Nicholas beamed a huge smile at her. "And snacks? The _good _kind?" he emphasized.

"Of course! Chips, sodas, a couple of candy bars... healthy food is overrated," Emma scoffed. Nicholas cheered and hopped up and down with excitement, never one to lack energy. "Just don't tell Ava."

He made a motion over his lips as if zipping them closed, and Emma grinned. Thankfully, the park wasn't too long of a walk from Nicholas' house. She didn't want to hear him complain about how tired his feet were getting.

Once they found a nice area caressed by the shade of a large oak tree, Emma withdrew a blanket and settled it over the ground. Nicholas plopped down eagerly and began digging through Emma's bag.

"Hey, kid, do you understand the meaning of privacy?" the blonde mused, plopping down beside him.

"I'm just getting the book," Nicholas replied innocently, accompanied by a flash of big brown eyes for emphasis.

"Mhm..." Emma flopped down on her back and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that the sun overhead offered. The temperature was absolutely perfect in the shade. She could hear Nick yank the book out of her bag and begin to flip through the pages.

"So," he began. "I have a theory."

Emma barely cracked an eye open, glancing at the young boy staring down at her. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

"These stories are real," Nicholas beamed. "And the people in this town are these characters."

Emma laughed blatantly and closed her eyes again, lifting a hand to run slender fingers through the hair that was splayed out around her head. "Nick, I think you were dropped as a baby," she scoffed.

He frowned and shoved one of her legs. "I'm serious!"

Deciding to play along, Emma propped herself up on her elbows and titled her head towards him. "Okay, enlighten me."

"Okay, so..." he rapidly flipped through some pages and stopped on an image of the Mad Hatter. "Didn't you say that the guy who kidnapped you claimed to be the Mad Hatter?" Nicholas prompted.

"Yeah, but Nick, he was insane. He tried to kill me," Emma blurted out pointedly.

"Well, the character isn't exactly a _normal _guy either..." Nicholas trailed off. "In _Alice In Wonderland_, he talks about super weird poetry and likes to make up crazy riddles. He _is _insane."

"Fair point," Emma sighed. "But that still doesn't prove that Jefferson is the Mad Hatter. He probably felt close to the character because of his psychotic tendencies, so he chose to become him."

"Or he _is_ him," Nicholas muttered, unwilling to give up.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Nick," Emma taunted, falling back flat on the blanket again. "Okay, answer this. You're from Storybrooke, so who are you?"

"Oh, that's easy," the boy scoffed, flipping through the pages again. Emma found herself sitting up, glancing over his shoulder in curiosity. "Him." Nicholas stopped on a page with another image and pointed to a young boy.

"Hansel?" Emma questioned, her forehead developing wrinkles as she raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious? So you think you're Hansel and Ava is Gretel?"

"I look just like him!" Nicholas countered. Emma could tell that he truly believed what he was saying, and she silently wondered if it had been a good idea letting him read this book.

"Not to burst your bubble, kid, but a lot of boys have brown hair and brown eyes. And a lot of them need a haircut like you, too," she smirked, ruffling his overgrown locks again.

"Emmaaaa, stoppp," he whined, squirming out of her reach. "I'm serioussss."

Emma groaned loudly and flopped back down on the blanket, the contact making a loud _thud. _"Then why don't you _know _you're Hansel?" she questioned as she threw her hands up in the air.

"Emma, did you not even read the book?" Nicholas sighed, exasperated. He acted as if he was talking to a child, but he rolled his orbs and continued. "The Evil Queen wanted revenge on Snow White." He eyed Emma expectantly.

"Yeah... so?" she snapped.

"Sooo, _this _was her punishment," he blurted, motioning with his hands around the park. "She created Storybrooke and trapped everyone here without their memories."

Okay, Emma had to admit that Nicholas must have put a lot of thought into this whole scenario. She pushed herself into a sitting position again, crossing her legs. "If this is Snow White's punishment, then who is Snow White?"

Nicholas wrinkled his nose, something that Emma found quite childish and cute. "I haven't figured that out yet..." he admitted sheepishly. "Snow White was a badass..."

"Nick!" Emma chastised.

"But she was!" he continued without pause. "She was a princess _and _she could shoot a bow and arrow perfectly. The book even says she defended the villagers from the Evil Queen, and in return they were all loyal to her. I don't really know anyone in the town like that," he frowned.

Emma found herself responding without thinking. "But if the Evil Queen created Storybrooke as a punishment, wouldn't she have turned Snow White into the opposite of what she was? Someone quiet? Someone who wouldn't cause trouble?" _Emma, you really need to stop encouraging him..._ the blonde thought with an internal groan.

"Oh yes! Why didn't I think of that?" he gasped. He grew silent, seeming to go through a list of Storybrooke residents in his mind. After a few moments, he spoke again. "Well, I'll have to think about that, but I do think I know who the Evil Queen is."

"Oh, and who is she?" Emma prompted.

"Your mom."

Emma grew silent, her once inquisitive expression turning hard. Her lips drew themselves into a thin line and she crossed her arms over her chest. Sure, Regina wasn't the nicest or most social person in the town, but she was far from evil. "That's not funny," she snapped.

"I'm not trying to be funny," Nicholas protested. "Think about it, the Evil Queen wanted power. Regina is the mayor of the whole town!"

"Nick, stop-"

"No one ever questions her. She doesn't ever socialize with anyone."

"Nick-"

"It's like she thinks everyone is beneath her..."

"Nick, stop!" Emma shot to her feet then, completely over this game they were playing. "Regina is not evil! Just because she doesn't talk to people, doesn't mean she's a bad person!" The blonde felt rage clenching at her heart, tightening her chest. "She doesn't trust easily! That's not a crime!"

Nicholas seemed to grow smaller under Emma's towering lean figure. His eyes grew watery, bottom lip beginning to quiver. Emma sighed and bent down, trying to compose herself before speaking again. "Look, kid, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. But you can't just go around accusing people of being evil."

Nicholas used the back of his hands to rub at his eyes, sniffling quietly. "I-I'm sorry."

Emma drummed her fingers against her thighs, growing uncomfortable with this situation. She wasn't used to comforting people. Regina never needed comforting, and before Regina, Emma only had herself to worry about. "It's okay." She plopped down beside him, drawing her knees to her chest. "Look... even if Regina is the Evil Queen like you think she is... and she's _not..._" Emma added sternly. "She's not that person anymore. She may be a harsh mayor, but she's a good person. I've seen how good she can be."

Nicholas pouted and just shrugged his shoulders. "Everyone isn't always who they seem," he murmured under his breath.

Emma sucked in a sharp breath and couldn't help but glare, hazel eyes growing hard. "Let's just drop it, okay? Now." She stood then to try and collect herself, but the sudden shaking of the ground threw her off balance. The whole world seemed to be moving beneath them.

Nicholas' eyes grew wide and fearful. He hopped up and clutched onto Emma for safety. "What's happening?" he cried.

"I don-" As she began to speak, the ground ahead of the pair gave away. Maintained grass vanished, replaced by a large crack and unsettled dust. As the crack moved towards them, panic grew in Emma's chest. "Nicholas, move!" She shoved the boy away hard, sending him toppling to the ground a few feet away. Before Emma had a chance to follow, the ground gave away beneath her and she fell. An instinctive scream escaped her lips as the darkness engulfed her.

Nicholas hit the ground with a yelp, then turned around as fast as he could to see that Emma had disappeared inside a gaping hole. "Emma!"

The blonde fell for what seemed like an eternity, but in reality, it was mere seconds. She hit the clay ground below harshly and the air was forced from her lungs. Stunned and unwilling to move while the earth was still unsettled, Emma instinctively brought her arms up to cover her head while rocks and dirt fell from above. Only when everything settled and she could hear Nicholas screaming her name did she look up.

Up above, she could see Nicholas peeking his head over the edge of the hole. He was at least 15 feet up. "Emma! Emma!" His voice was filled with terror and she could tell he was close to bawling. She couldn't blame him. This whole situation was scary as hell.

"Nick..." she croaked, her voice weak from the impact her body had just taken. When she moved to sit up, she gasped as pain shot through her head, temporarily blurring her vision. She brought a hand up to her temple and then drew her fingers away from her skin, feeling a warm, sticky liquid coating them. It was too dark to see anything right now, at least until her eyes had a chance to adjust, but she knew the liquid was blood. The image of Nick popped into her mind again and she forced herself to look up, eyes squinted against the light seeping in through the dust.

"Nick, get away from the edge. It could collapse more," Emma begged, her voice still weak and gravelly. However, he must have heard her, because his face vanished from sight.

"Emma, I'm scared!" she could hear him whimper. "What just happened?"

Emma used what strength she had left to push herself to her feet, but dizziness overtook her almost immediately and she stumbled sideways. Thankfully, the rocky siding of the hole was there to keep her from falling. "It's okay, kid. I think it's just a sink hole or something..." Emma coughed. "I need you to go get help."

"But I don't want to leave you!"

"Nick, you can do this. I _really _need you to do this. Be brave, okay? Just like Hansel." Emma shifted so that her back was leaning against the wall.

"Okay," she heard the young boy sniffle from above. "I'll be back. I promise!"

* * *

Mary Margaret sat at the bar at Granny's, humming quietly to the song playing from the jukebox in the corner of the diner. Ruby appeared through the swinging door leading into the kitchen, pausing to re-fill Mary Margaret's lemonade. "Everyone taste okay?"

"Of course, as always," the pixie-haired woman complimented with a wide smile. Ruby returned the gesture and lifted the pitcher to stop pouring the beverage just as the ground began to shake. The lights overhead swung on their hinges and the chairs began to rattle. Lemonade tumbled out of the pitcher and across the counter, spilling onto the floor.

"Shit!" Ruby cursed loudly and held onto the bar for support. Just as fast as the shaking had begun, it ended. The various guests in the diner glanced around, stunned. The space was quickly enveloped with worried murmurs.

"What was that?" Mary Margaret gasped.

"I have no idea! An earthquake?" Ruby wondered aloud. She grabbed a nearby towel and started to clean up the spilled lemonade.

Granny came bursting out of the kitchen, annoyance written across her features. "What the hell was that? Half of the pots and pans just fell off the wall in the kitchen!" She glared over her glasses at Ruby, who scoffed and threw her hands up in return.

"You think _I _did this? Are you serious?" the woman gaped in disbelief. "Yeah, I totally forgot to tell you, I can make the whole freaking ground shake now!" she added sarcastically.

"Don't use that tone with me, Ruby," the old woman growled back.

"Alright, wait. Let's just all calm down and figure out what happened." Mary Margaret climbed down off her stool and tried to ease the tension between the two women. But just as she was about to continue, the bell over the door sounded, signaling someone had entered. All eyes fell on little Nicholas. He was obviously panicked.

"Nicholas?" Mary Margaret questioned. "Are you okay?"

"It's Emma!" he heaved, out of breath from sprinting to Granny's for help. "The park... it... the ground... she fell..." His words were a jumbled mess, but the older woman understood what he was trying to say.

"Oh my God, Emma!" Her feet were moving before she could even process the motion. "Nicholas, stay here. Ruby, call Regina!" She yelled the instructions over her shoulder before pushing through the doorway and making a beeline for the park. It wasn't too far away, she could be there in minutes. "Please, please let her be okay..." Mary Margaret mumbled pleadingly to herself.

As she ran along the iron fence that lined Storybrooke's main park, her heart dropped. The normally well-manicured field of grass was in ruins now towards the middle. Dust was still floating aimlessly through the air, hovering above a gaping hole surrounded by upturned gravel and displaced rocks. "Emma!"

"I'm here!"

Mary Margaret followed the familiar voice to a part of the hole closest to the tree line. She paused near the edge, looking down frantically into the darkness below.

"Emma?" As her eyes slowly adjusted to the dusty air, a small figure became visible towards the wall. "Oh my... Emma! Are you alright?"

"I think so," the teen croaked. "But I hit my head."

The worry of a concussion instantly plagued Mary Margaret's thoughts. "Try not to move, okay? Help will be here soon."

Emma broke into a coughing fit below, the dust obviously taking a toll on her lungs. The movement from the coughing hurt her ribs. She didn't think anything was broken, but she would _definitely _feel the affects of the fall once the adrenaline wore off. "Okay," she stuttered through the coughs. "I- I'm glad you're here."

"Of course, Emma. I'll be right here the whole time. I'm not going anywhere," she said in reassurance. She couldn't imagine the fear Emma had experienced while falling.

To help pass the time, the blonde squinted her eyes and scoured her surroundings. She appeared to be in some sort of old tunnel. "This looks like an old mine," she yelled up to Mary Margaret.

The teacher paused, eyebrows furrowed. She enjoyed history and had made it a point to learn everything she could about the town she lived in. However, amongst everything she had read, there had been no mention of a mine. "I didn't know there was a mine beneath the town."

"Well, there is," Emma breathed harshly. She coughed again briefly before resting her head against the rocky wall. "Is my mom coming?"

"She should be here any minute," Mary Margaret replied. By now, Regina would have gotten the call from Ruby and would be driving towards the park in a panic. She winced, sympathizing with the fear she knew the woman was surely feeling. Movement below drew Mary Margaret from her thoughts. "Emma, what are you doing? You shouldn't stand."

A glint of something deeper in the mine caught Emma's attention. Curiosity getting the better of her senses, Emma braced against the side of the hole and pulled herself to her feet. She could feel pain radiating from her temple, but the former dizziness was held at bay. "I think I saw something..." she trailed off in response to the older woman above.

"Emma..." Mary Margaret warned. "Moving isn't a good idea. The whole place is unstable!"

"It's just right over here." Using the wall to brace herself, Emma carefully made her way around fallen rocks towards where the glint had originated. Blue-green eyes squinted into slits as Emma willed her vision to work against the darkness. Another glint reflecting from the light above, and then Emma had the target cupped carefully in her palm. "It's... glass. A broken piece of glass."

Mary Margaret's expression became even more perplexed than before. "Glass? Are you sure? That doesn't make any sense."

"Yup," Emma piped, popping the _p_. "More than sure, unless my eyes are playing tricks on me. And given I hit my head, that is also an entire possibility," the teen remarked.

Mary Margaret knew Emma was only trying to be funny and lighten the mood, but that did nothing to reduce her worries. "Alright, Emma. Enough exploring. Sit down, please." Her attention was suddenly drawn towards the entrance of the park, where a black Mercedes was racing towards them much faster than the assigned speed limit. The sheriff's car followed directly behind, kicking up more dust beneath the rubber tires.

Within seconds, both cars were stopped and Regina was rushing towards the collapsed ground. "Emma!" Dark eyes raced frantically between Mary Margaret and the hole. "Where's Emma?" she rasped, regarding the other woman.

"I'm down here!" came Emma's voice from below.

"Oh my- what happened? Are you alright?" the mayor called, bending down beside Mary Margaret to peer over the edge.

"I was laying with Nicholas, well... right around there actually," Emma attempted to explain as she pointed towards the top of the hole. "The ground just fell in. I pushed Nick out of the way in time." Emma paused momentarily, a sideways smirk suddenly lining her lips. "See, I told you I could handle him!"

A somewhat hysterical scoff escaped Regina's mouth. Worry lined every inch of her face. "Yeah, you were right," she agreed breathlessly. "Although, you getting out of the way yourself would have been ideal as well..."

Emma offered a careless shrug from below, white teeth revealing a wide grin against the darkness. She knew Regina was probably a mess internally, and she wanted to do what she could to reduce her worries. "A girl can only do so much," she teased.

Mary Margaret listened to the banter between the two, a small smile ghosting her lips despite the dangerous situation. Only a few months ago Regina would have been barking out orders at everyone nearby, threatening death or imprisonment to anyone who couldn't get her daughter out of harm's way. Mary Margaret would have definitely taken the brunt of the woman's wrath. Now though, despite the panic that must have been racing through her nerves, Regina was focused on Emma with a need to keep her daughter distracted and calm.

Graham appeared beside the two woman, peering down towards Emma. He was scanning the confines of the hole, working out mentally what would be the best course of action. "Emma," he began. "How are you feeling? Do you think you could strap yourself into a harness if we lowered it down to you?" he questioned. His tone was fairly straight forward. While he cared for Emma, just as most of the town had come to over the last few months, he needed to remain professional and keep this situation under control.

"I'm fine. I mean, I hit my head when I fell, but I could get myself into a harness," came the response below.

Mary Margaret stood briskly, making her way towards Graham. "What can I do to help?"

He shook his head and began digging through his pants pocket for his cell phone. "Nothing right now. I'm going to get Franklin over here with his tow truck. We can use the truck's line to lower a harness down in the middle of the hole. That'll reduce the risk of causing the ground to collapse more."

Regina was listening to their conversation intently. She tore her eyes away from Emma to question Graham. "How long will that take?"

"An hour, maybe two."

"That's too long! She's _stuck _down there all by herself! The ground could collapse again any moment. We need to get her out _now_!" the mayor barked, shooting to her feet rapidly.

"We will get her out Regina," Graham promised. "But we need to do this carefully."

Everyone could sense the tension building within the mayor, and Mary Margaret inched forward to meekly place a hand on the woman's shoulder. "Regina-" While the two women were no where near friends, Regina had seemed to develop a tolerance for Mary Margaret's presence recently, if only to appease Emma. However, the light contact still sent Regina reeling away as if she had been burned.

The petite woman backed a few feet away, putting adequate distance between herself and the school teacher. "Don't," she warned in an eerily flat tone. "I _do not _need your comfort, or whatever it is you think you're doing," she bit out between clinched teeth.

Mary Margaret held her hands up in surrender and nodded in understanding. "Right, I'm sorry. I just thought-"

"You don't need to _think _anything when it comes to me," Regina snapped. She took a deep breath then, glancing briefly towards the hole and then lowering her tone before she continued. "Make no mistake, Ms. Blanchard, you and I are not friends. I do not need, or want, your sympathy. I tolerate you because of Emma. That is all."

While Mary Margaret had been expecting as much, Regina's words still caused her chest to tighten. She could not understand why Regina hated her with such an obvious passion, but now was neither the time nor place to push the subject further. She simply nodded, letting her gaze fall to the ground in submission while Regina glared. Sensing she had gotten her point across, Regina returned to the edge of the gaping hole to check on Emma.

Just as Graham had predicted, it took nearly two hours for the tow truck to arrive and get set up properly. Thankfully, the ground had stabilized for the most part and they were able to park the truck only a few feet from the collapsed area. Emma watched from below as a body harness was lowered towards her on the truck's tow line. Emma winced, pinching the bridge of her nose, as a headache began to make itself known.

"Just step into the harness and secure it around your hips and chest. We'll do all the work after that," she heard Graham instruct from above. All she could offer in return was a small nod. The events of the day were beginning to wear her down, and along with the headache, the open wound along her temple was throbbing mercilessly.

"Emma, please be careful," Regina rasped as well.

"Always," she croaked in return. She followed Graham's instructions and then felt relief course through her body as the tow line began tugging her towards the surface. She squinted her eyes against the strengthening light seeping into the hole from above and sputtered out the remains of dusty air in her lungs. She never thought that fresh air could feel so amazing.

As soon as she crested the edge, Graham grabbed Emma's arms and pulled her safely away from the crumbled ground. Once within arm's reach, Regina took over and captured the teen in a rough embrace that nearly took her breath away. She could feel Regina's body vibrating with relief, unfiltered tears streaming from the corners of her eyes and vanishing within Emma's hair. The mayor said nothing, but she didn't need to. This was a form of unspoken language that Emma was beginning to understand.

The teen could feel Mary Margaret standing nearby, and beyond grateful for her presence as well, Emma extended a weak hand for the older woman to take while gripping the fabric of Regina's suit jacket relentlessly with the other. Unsure at first, the pixie-haired woman eyed Regina carefully. She in no way wanted to interrupt such a precious and tender moment between mother and daughter, but she also desperately wanted to accept Emma's hand. She cared for the young girl as well, much more than the normal relationship between a teacher and one of her students. Perhaps it had been their near death encounter months ago with Jefferson that had solidified their growing bond, but Mary Margaret somehow sensed that it was more than that.

Seeing that Regina was much too wrapped up in her joy over Emma's safety to notice anything else, Mary Margaret clasped onto Emma's extended hand with both of her own, wrapping the blonde's cold fingers in a cocoon of warmth. She brought the hand to her lips, placing a small kiss of comfort on Emma's knuckles.

And that is when it happened. Amidst the shared embrace of the two women she cared about most in this world, Emma's mind erupted. An intense spark of pain and pressure plagued the area behind her eyes, causing black spots to dot the edges of her vision. She gasped, collapsing into Regina's embrace, as a series of images played behind her eyes.

* * *

_Emma felt as though she was running, although her legs were not moving. In fact, she herself was not moving at all. She felt a strong arm supporting her little body protectively, cradling her against a warm, solid chest. The chest was rising and falling rapidly, and she could feel the organ beating relentlessly beneath the skin there. _

_Wide hazel eyes, filled with innocence and wonder, tried to make sense of what was happening. A small blanket was wrapped around her form, preventing her arms and legs from dangling or flailing. This somehow gave her comfort, rather than feeling restricting. Only moments before, she had been hidden and safe within the confines of her mother's belly. _

_She could somewhat, through blurred and new vision, made out the face of the man carrying her. Panic was written all over his chiseled features, evident when he glanced down every few seconds to check on Emma's well being. Full lips gasped for air with each step he took. He seemed to be fleeing from someone, or perhaps towards something._

_The man, whom she could only assume was her father, scanned his surroundings with determined, clear blue eyes. They reminded Emma of the ocean on a calm, sunny day. Sandy blonde hair, coated with perspiration at the moment, framed the top of his head. Emma could hear shouts from behind them, but she was too mesmerized by the man carrying her to care. _

_Emma's tiny body was shifted slightly as the man forced his way through a closed door, never pausing until they were on the far side of the room. Emma offered him a small, toothless smile, confused as to what all the fuss was about. Tears were dripping down his cheeks as he placed her slowly, carefully, into what seemed to be the trunk of a tree. She was able to wriggle an arm free and she sloppily reached for her father, her little nub of a hand desiring comfort. She could see pain devouring his eyes as some realization seemed to hit him. _

_He bent down, placing a chaste kiss upon Emma's forehead. He paused there for a moment, lips ghosting against her skin as he breathlessly whispered, "Find us." And then, in what Emma's newborn mind could only process as a series of rapid movements, the man stood, casted one last longing glance her way, and slammed the doors of the trunk closed. Blackness engulfed her, and then suddenly, she felt as if she was falling._

* * *

**Okay... sorry, I know I left this chapter with a bit of a cliffy, but it was getting long and I needed to find a stopping point. I'll update again soon, I promise!**

**I am thinking about establishing some sort of timeline for when I post chapters though, and I'll continue to post footnotes about when I can't adhere to the schedule. I'm thinking perhaps two updates per week. What days would y'all prefer for new chapters to be posted? **

**-Newfi**


	9. The Quest

**Sooo... I know the ending of the last chapter might have been a little misleading, but the curse isn't broken quite yet. In fact, the whole curse situation is going to become quite complicated, as you'll figure out over the next few chapters. But, Emma's memories are coming back! Remember, in the show Emma did regain all of her memories when she touched the storybook, but re-gaining those memories didn't actually break the curse. Think along those lines as you read this version of the tale. **

**As one guest reader suggested, I'll plan on posting updates on Mondays and Fridays. The next couple of weeks are going to be jam packed with lots of traveling and a busy schedule for me though, so I'm probably only going to be able to update once per week up through the beginning of May. After that, I'll just have to see how my schedule plays out. But for now, I hope you enjoy chapter 9! R&R. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 9: The Quest **

Emma began to stir from her slumber as the sensation of endless falling became more intense. The cries of herself as a newborn infant played in the back of her mind like an incessant tune. Her eyelids fluttered a few times before finally opening, revealing tired hazel irises. Emma tilted her head to the side quietly, taking in the slumped over, sleeping form of Regina. The movement, regardless of how slow and little it had been, sent a volt of pain through her head. A hiss escaped her lips between clinched teeth, the sound produced by a mix of agitation and discomfort. Regina stirred immediately.

The petite brunette went from a peaceful, slumbering individual, to an erratic, worried mother within milliseconds. She noticed that Emma was awake, and obviously in pain, the second her eyes opened. She was on her feet and kneeling beside the bed in no time, one of her hands running gently through Emma's tousled hair. "Hi Emma, sweetheart. How are you feeling?" Her words were so quiet and tender, a stark comparison to the mayor's usual demeanor.

"Hi," Emma croaked hoarsely. "I'm okay. My head just hurts," she admitted.

"You took a pretty good knock to the head when you fell," Regina explained, brushing her fingers over the bandage covering Emma's left temple. "You'll be sore for a while, but you don't have a concussion, so that's a good thing."

Emma shifted so that she could withdraw her arms from beneath the blanket. Her intention had been to take one of Regina's hands in her own to try and give the older woman some reassurance, but instead, the action triggered the images that had flashed through her mind before. She saw the blonde male with striking blue eyes, and then the image of her infant hand reaching out for him. Regina noted the change in Emma's expression, and the confused look that entered her eyes.

"What it is, Emma?" she questioned, her forehead creased in worry.

Emma looked into her mother's caring eyes... a gaze that the teen knew was solely reserved for her. Should she tell Regina about her vision, or memory, or whatever the hell had just happened? Should she tell her that she thought she had just seen a glimpse of her birth father? And that one of the worst headaches she had ever endured had accompanied the images? No... no, she couldn't do that to Regina. Her birth parents meant nothing to her. They had abandoned her on the side of the road, while Regina had given her everything she could ever dream of over the last few months... a home, friends, love...

And yet, why had this flash of mental pictures felt so familiar... so much like a long forgotten memory? Why had the man placed her inside of a tree and left her there to fend for herself? Why could Emma distinctly remember him whispering two desperate, pleading words? _Find us. _

In the back of her mind, Emma knew that she wouldn't be able to let this go. She would do research. She would find answers. But, she _wouldn't _worry Regina, at least not until it was necessary. "Nothing. Like I said, head just hurts," the blonde slurred. "Where are we exactly? I thought we were at the park."

Regina continued to run soothing fingers through Emma's hair, careful to avoid the tender spot along her temple. "We're at the hospital. You passed out when Graham got you out of the mine. You gave me quite a scare..." she trailed off, her voice even deeper than usual.

Emma sighed and allowed a gentle smile to grace her pale lips. She lifted the hand closest to Regina and placed her palm against the older woman's cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

Regina leaned into the touch and covered Emma's hand with one of her own, her eyes drifting closed momentarily. She breathed in deeply and smiled. "I know."

A small knock against the door caused Regina's eyes to shoot open, once gentle orbs growing hard. Confused at the sudden change in demeanor, Emma shifted to see what the problem was. It was only Mary Margaret peeking her head into the room. "Oh, I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to see how she was," the newcomer whispered, directing the statement towards Regina. Her warm, hazel eyes, which were nearly identical to Emma's own, then fell on the tired teen. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

Regina laced her fingers through Emma's hand and lowered both back onto the bed. It was obvious that she still preferred not to show affection in front of others. "She just woke up," Regina offered tersely.

Mary Margaret nodded and moved to back out of the doorway. "Well, now that I know, I'll leave you two alone."

Emma called out before she left completely, causing Mary Margaret to peek back around the doorframe. "Thank you for being there today. And thank you for having Ruby call my mom," she said gently, offering Regina's hand a small squeeze while doing so.

"Of course, Emma," Mary Margaret replied. "Get some rest." With that said, the school teacher vanished from sight. Emma turned her attention back to Regina.

"Has she been here the whole time?"

Regina reluctantly nodded. "She wouldn't leave. Believe me, I tried to get her to." Although she didn't actually do it, Emma could sense an eye roll behind those words.

"Hey, she cares. That isn't a bad thing," Emma sighed as she moved to sit up in bed. Her head was feeling much better. The pain meds must have started doing their job. "Can we go home now? I don't really want to stay here."

"Alright, but you have to promise me that you'll take it easy if I get them to release you." The brunette quirked one eyebrow into a perfectly sculpted arch, waiting for Emma's response.

"Yeah, alright, fine," the blonde muttered. "But I want to go see Ava and Nicholas tomorrow. I know he's alright, but I'd like to see for myself."

While Regina's initial reaction was to say no, she knew how much Emma cared for her friends, and she wouldn't stop her from seeing them. Such an action might push the teen away. "Fine, but like I said before, you have to take it easy." She moved to stand then, running her palms over her jacket. "I'm going to go sign the release paperwork. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Emma nodded and watched her go before sinking back down into the bed. The images from before flashed across her vision again, also igniting a dull pain behind her forehead. A sudden realization hit Emma, and her eyes went wide. Her storybook... she needed to see the storybook, and she needed to speak with Nicholas.

* * *

The next afternoon, after Emma had slept in and gotten an adequate amount of sleep to make up for everything the prior day, Regina drove her across town to see Ava and Nicholas. The blonde silently hoped her friends were home, as she hadn't mentioned she was coming. She had too much on her mind, and hadn't wanted to try and explain over the phone.

"Alright, I'll be back to get you in a couple of hours," Regina reminded Emma as she turned in the driver's seat to face the younger girl. She reached across the middle console and delicately placed a hand over Emma's bandaged temple. "You're sure you feel up to this?"

Emma nodded and offered a genuine smile. "I'm fine mom, really. I'll see you in a bit." Regina watched as the blonde draped her bag over her shoulder and then began jogging towards the front door. She quickly rolled down the passenger window and called out to her daughter. "Emma!"

The teenager slowed to a walk and groaned loudly, glancing over her shoulder to offer the brunette a put-out expression. "Fine... I know, I know. Take it easy."

One corner of Regina's lips rose into a sideways smirk as she winked playfully at Emma, who in return wrinkled her nose and waited for the over-protective woman to disappear down the road. Once she had, Emma turned around and finished her jog to the front door. After a few loud knocks, Ava answered.

"Emma!" She launched herself forward without warning and hugged Emma tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

Emma chuckled and allowed the hug for a few moments before pulling away. "It was nothing. Just a little bonk on the head."

"I can see that!" Ava gasped, her eyes gazing at the fresh bandage over her head wound.

"Okay, okay, quit staring," Emma groaned. She hated being the object of attention. "Is Nicholas here? I need to talk to you both, right now." She pushed her way past Ava and entered the small home.

"Come on in, make yourself at home," the shorter blonde taunted. Emma rolled her hazel eyes and arched her brows in expectation. "Alright, he's back here," Ava finally relented. She led Emma to Nick's room and barged in without invitation.

"Hey!" The young boy yelled. "Ever heard of a thing called knocking?"

"Emma said she needs to talk to both of us," Ava offered, throwing a thumb back towards the other girl.

Emma beamed at her younger friend and plopped down on the bed beside him, drawing her bag into her lap. "So kid, remember our conversation yesterday before the park decided to fall apart?" she questioned. He nodded eagerly, crawling towards Emma to peek over her shoulder. "Have you told your sister about your theory yet?" she added.

"Oh geeze, Nicholas, I told you to drop that ridiculous nonsense!" Ava cut in suddenly.

Finally finding the storybook, Emma latched onto the aged leather and pulled it from the bag. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Wait, do you believe me?" Nicholas exclaimed in hopeful excitement. He eagerly looked between Emma and his sister, then back to Emma.

"Not exactly kid, but you might be onto something." At the sound of a loud scoff, Emma looked up to see Ava giving her an incredulous look.

"Emma, you can't be serious," she gaped in disbelief. "Those are made up stories!" She motioned roughly to the book that Emma was flipping through rapidly, searching for a specific page.

"Just hear me out," Emma sighed, growing irritated that the page wasn't revealing itself right away. "Something happened yesterday."

"What happened?" Nicholas asked while practically bouncing on the bed. Emma reached backwards and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Nick, stop. You'll bring on a headache," she commanded seriously. He pouted and stopped moving around so much, brown eyes still eager for an answer. Ava had crossed her arms over her chest and was waiting expectantly as well. "After they got me out of the hole, I saw something."

"You... saw... something?" Ava asked slowly. "I mean, you did-"

"I know I hit my head," Emma cut her off before she could finish. "But this wasn't some illusion. It was- it was like a memory."

"A memory that involves the storybook?" Nicholas questioned.

"Yeah... ah, here!" Emma gasped, finally coming upon the page she was looking for. "This, I saw this!" Both Ava and Nicholas hurried to sit on each side of Emma, their interests peaked.

"You saw Prince Charming putting his baby into a tree?" Ava practically spat, humor littering her tone. She looked up from the page, regarding Emma. "Are you serious?"

"I didn't see him and the baby. I _was_ the baby..." Emma trailed off, unsure eyes falling back towards the book. "I know it sounds crazy..." Ava and Nicholas began speaking at the same.

"Of course it does!"

"No it doesn't!"

Both stopped abruptly, glaring at one another. "I told you the characters were real!" Nicholas started. "Emma is the Savior!"

"Woah, woah, woah, I'm no Savior," Emma cut in before things got out of hand.

"Thank you!" Ava groaned in relief. It was short lived though, as Emma continued.

"But, what I saw felt so _real_. Like a lost memory that had just re-surfaced. I could hear everything... see everything... so clearly," she breathed.

"Emma," Ava began. "You've read that story so many times. When you hit your head and were under so much stress, your mind coped by taking you somewhere else... somewhere better..."

Emma shook her head vigorously, to which she quickly regretted as her wound ached, but then continued nonetheless. "No, that was not a _better _place. That man... my father... or whoever he was, put me in a tree trunk and just left me. He _abandoned _his newborn daughter."

"He had no choice!" Nicholas cut in. "Don't you remember? He put you in there so that you would be safe from the Evil Queen!"

"Nicholas, enough..." Ava whined. "This is all crazy!"

Emma grabbed her friend's arm gently, regarding Ava with pleading eyes. "Ava please, I _know _this sounds... insane. I sound like Jefferson-"

"The Mad Hatter," Nicholas corrected. At a harsh glare from Emma, he closed his mouth quickly.

"Anyway..." Emma continued with an eye roll, "...please, I need you to trust me. Something is up. It wasn't just my mind trying to cope with the situation I was in. It was a _memory_. I remembered so much detail, way more than some storybook could tell. It was real..."

Ava stared at her taller friend for a moment, the wheels turning rapidly in her head. This couldn't be real. It just couldn't be. But Emma was her friend, and maybe if she helped her disprove this whole theory, they could move on. "Fine," she finally gritted out. "I'll go with this whole thing, _for now_. What exactly do you plan on doing to prove this memory?"

"We need to find Prince Charming! Duh!" Nicholas blurted at his sister. She shoved him roughly back onto the bed and he stuck his tongue out at her in retaliation.

"Guys, stop," Emma groaned. Really, it was like babysitting two toddlers. "Nick, you're the one that came up with this whole Storybrooke curse scenario. So, have you figured out who this man is?" she questioned, placing a finger on Prince Charming's drawing.

Nicholas plopped back down cross-legged on the bed and shook his head. "No, I haven't seen anyone that looks like him. But if the Evil Queen casted the curse to punish Snow White-"

"-then she would have done everything in her power to separate Prince Charming from her," Emma finished.

Ava only groaned and flopped back on the bed, running her hands roughly over her face. "You're never going to find a fictional character in our town," she couldn't help but mutter.

"Ava, just help us find him. If we can't, then you're right. I'll drop this whole thing. But if we do find him, then you have to help me figure out what is going on and why I have a memory of him." Ava listened to Emma and slammed her hands against the bed loudly. "Please, Ava. My life is a mess of unanswered questions. This could help me solve one of them," Emma begged.

If there was one thing Emma never did, it was talk about past. If this was important enough to Emma for her to let her walls down, even briefly, then Ava would help her. Even though this whole plan was absolutely insane. "Fine."

"Thank you," Emma breathed out heavily. She snapped the book closed and began to pick through her brain. "So, if I were the Evil Queen-"

"Emma, you're the Savior. You're like the opposite of evil!" Nicholas protested.

The blonde teen glared. "I wasn't speaking _literally_, kid! And I'm not the Savior." she snapped. "Now, as I was saying, if I were the Evil Queen, where would I hide the prince?"

"A dark dungeon?" Nicholas offered.

"This is Storybrooke, kid. Not the Enchanted Forest. Think more modern. And this town is small. He'd have to be hidden in plain sight," Emma added.

"This is hard," Nick complained. "He technically doesn't have to be hidden. No one in Storybrooke has their memories. Even if Snow White and Prince Charming walked right past each other, they wouldn't know who the other was."

Emma groaned, running a hand from her forehead down to her chin. This was hard, and crazy. What was she thinking? "Point taken," she mumbled.

Ava, who had been silent throughout most of their brain storming, suddenly piped in. "Why would the Evil Queen take that chance, though?" she questioned, earning curious looks from her company. She quickly clarified. "This doesn't mean I believe any of this. But the sooner we get some answers, the sooner we can get this over with."

Nicholas scoffed, but agreed. "True, the Evil Queen is smart. And true love is way more powerful than her. She wouldn't want to chance Snow White and the prince recognizing each other..." He wrinkled his nose, picking apart all the ideas in his brain. "Wait! A sleeping curse! Or whatever that equals in this world. The Evil Queen used one on Snow White once. What if he's under one?"

"You mean like a coma or something?" Emma questioned, to which he nodded eagerly. "Then we need to check the hospital."

"Do you really think they're going to just let three unsupervised kids explore?" Ava remarked with a quirked brow.

"No, but Mary Margaret volunteers there. She should be there now, actually. We can say we are there to help her," Emma offered with a grin.

A sudden scream of excitement caused both girls to jump out of their skin. Nicholas all but bounced off the walls, springing from his bed onto the floor energetically. "Yay, yay! We're going on a quest!" It was only then that Emma realized Nicholas was sporting a messy shirt and little boxers.

"Quests require pants," she barked in a laugh.

* * *

"We're here to help Ms. Blanchard volunteer today," Ava offered innocently to the security guard just beyond the hospital's main doors. While her friend worked her magic on getting them inside, Emma sent a quick text to her mother.

_E- Went with Ava & Nick to hospital. Forgot something last night. _

As always, Regina's response was immediate.

_Mom- Did you walk there? How are you feeling?_

Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes as Ava motioned for her and Nicholas to follow. She had gotten them inside without a hitch.

_E- I'm fine. You worry too much. See you in a bit._

With that done, Emma tucked her phone into her back pocket and focused on the task at hand. The three of them made their way up to the 3rd floor and scanned the area for Mary Margaret. "There she is!" Ava pointed out. "Ms. Blanchard!" The shorter blonde jogged up to greet their teacher. Emma moved to follow, but Nicholas grabbed her arm and yanked her backwards.

"Ouch, kid!" Emma barked, glaring. "What was that for?"

"That's her!" Nicholas gaped in a whisper, eyes set on Mary Margaret who was in the middle of a hug with Ava.

"Who?" Emma queried.

"Snow White!" he snapped back pointedly.

Emma found herself looking between the older woman and Nicholas. "Why do you think that?"

"Emma, come on! She looks just like her. I mean... she has way shorter hair now, but that's definitely her."

"And you didn't think to mention this before, because?" Emma prompted.

"She's _your _teacher. Not mine. I've never paid attention to her before," Nicholas shrugged nonchalantly.

Emma scoffed in disbelief and turned to find Mary Margaret and Ava walking towards them. The older woman greeted Emma with a warm smile and a hug. "Emma, Ava just told me you're here to volunteer for the day," she grinned as she pulled away. "But are you sure you feel up to it? How's your head?"

"It's fine. Just a bump. Mom insisted I keep a bandage on it for the next few days," Emma explained casually.

Mary Margaret nodded and moved her gaze down to Nicholas. "Who's this?"

"I'm Nicholas, Ava's cooler brother!" he grinned. "We're on a quest to-" He was cut off when Ava elbowed him in the ribs. "Ow, Ava!" he complained.

"He thinks everything is a quest. He like fairy tales," Ava sighed.

"Ah," Mary Margaret began. She bent down to be at eye level with Nicholas. "I like fairy tales too. Everyone deserves a happy ending," she grinned with a wink. She stood then, ushering for the three to follow.

"See, I _told you _it was her," Nicholas mocked low enough that only Emma could hear. She rolled her hazel orbs and ruffled his hair playfully.

They followed Mary Margaret to a table that had a variety of flowers distributed upon the surface. "I bring these to lift the patients' spirits," she explained. "You all can take a few and help me hand them out." All three nodded in unison and did as they were told. "Ava, Nicholas, you two take that hall," she instructed, motioning towards their left. "Emma and I will take these rooms."

Once everyone went off in their assigned directions, Emma followed Mary Margaret into various rooms, offering all of the patients a small smile while taking in their appearances. They were about 20 minutes in and there was still no Prince Charming.

"This next patient is a John Doe," Mary Margaret explained. "He's in a coma and has shown no signs of waking up. No one has ever claimed him," she frowned.

Emma's interest was instantly peaked. "How long has he been here?" she found herself asking. There was a small part of her that hoped the answer would be 15 years, but at the same time, she wouldn't wish that fate on anyone.

Mary Margaret's eyebrows furrowed together as she seemed to be contemplating an answer. "Um... I can't recall honestly. A long time," she finally stated.

"As in, as long as you've lived in Storybrooke?" Emma wondered aloud. "Actually, I've never asked, how long have you lived in this town?"

Again, Mary Margaret seemed taken aback by the questions. "Well... um... as long as I can remember."

"So, your whole life then?" Emma urged, suddenly very curious to hear her answer. Why couldn't Mary Margaret produce a response with a specific number of years? If asked, she herself could name off the exact lengths of time she had spent in various foster homes.

Silence enveloped the pair, only the sound of their shoes scuffing against the tiled floor breaking it. Mary Margaret picked through her mind for an answer, frustration building when she couldn't come up with one. Had it really been so long since she'd thought about her past that she could no longer recall any specifics? Was her mind failing her? She hadn't ever been asked these types of questions before. "Just... a long time," she finally managed to grit out.

Emma fell silent as Mary Margaret moved to open John Doe's door. While the older woman's lack of specific memories intrigued her, she was much more interested in seeing what this man looked like. Emma followed her friend into the room and stepped around her eagerly, but nothing had prepared her for the shock that coursed through her body. Emma's mouth fell slack, hazel eyes wide.

"Emma, are you alright?" Mary Margaret questioned, but her voice sounded so distant.

The man that laid on the bed before them was the spitting image of the man she had seen in her memory. He was young, probably in his late 20s, with flawless, smooth skin. Dirty blonde hair, disheveled due to the pillow beneath his head, framed an oval face with a gently chiseled chin. His eyes were closed, hiding the ocean blue irises that Emma knew he possessed.

"Emma?" Mary Margaret called again, now shaking the younger girl carefully. She snapped out of the shock and blinked a few times.

"Sorry. Ye- yeah, I... um... I'm fine," she sputtered out. This obviously did nothing to calm the brunette's worries, so Emma tried again. "He's young. I just didn't expect him to be so young," she breathed out heavily.

"Oh," Mary Margaret remarked, looking between John Doe and the younger girl. "I'm sorry Emma, is this too much? I know it's a lot to take in, seeing someone like this..."

"No, no," Emma quickly replied. The last thing she wanted was to be taken away from this man at the moment. "I'm fine. I'll put a flower in his vase." Emma moved around the bed slowly, unable to take her eyes off the man she had clearly seen in her mind. He had pleaded to Emma's newborn self to 'find him." _Or, to find them... _Emma thought as she briefly eyed Mary Margaret near the door. Well, she had found him, and she wanted answers.

Removing the dying flower that Mary Margaret must have left last week, Emma replaced it with a new one. Still unable to leave the room even after discarding the old flower, Emma desperately tried to come up with an excuse to stay. "Have you ever tried reading to him?" she asked blatantly.

"What? Um, no. No, I haven't," Mary Margaret admitted.

"Well, I've heard that talking or reading can sometimes wake up coma patients. Why don't we try?" Emma suggested. She swung her bag around to her front and withdrew the storybook. She felt absolutely insane for thinking it, but if this was real... if Nicholas' theory was true and this was Prince Charming... perhaps reading him his own story would trigger something.

Mary Margaret smiled and nodded. "That's a great idea, Emma. Very thoughtful." She moved to lean casually against the end of the bed while Emma took a seat and settled on a story.

Emma's eyes sought out Mary Margaret for support, as she was growing increasingly uncomfortable with this insane situation. At a gentle nod of encouragement from the older woman, Emma sighed deeply and began to read. "Once upon a time..."

Over the course of the passing minutes that Emma read the tale of Snow White and Prince Charming, Mary Margaret found herself edging closer to the man on the bed. He looked so peaceful and calm, yet it was only a facade. He was trapped in a world he couldn't escape from. She found that her heart ached for him, and her body's response was to sit down on the edge of the bed and place a supportive hand over his own. She stared calmly at his closed eyes, feeling a tug within her chest that hadn't been there before. Perhaps she had never really taken the time to truly notice John Doe, but oh, she did now. He was quite handsome, and she found herself wishing desperately that he would wake up.

As Emma read, she also took note of Mary Margaret's movements and reactions to the situation. She had gone from standing alone at the end of the bed, to staring at their silent company with such deep concern. She didn't know John Doe from atom, and yet she looked as if she was mourning the loss of a loved one. Emma felt an odd sensation within the tips of her fingers that held the book, as if being prompted to reach out towards this man... this stranger that felt so familiar. She reluctantly, very slowly, did as her body desired and moved to place a hand upon the man's shoulder, her slender fingers barely brushing the fabric of his hospital gown.

All the same, even with the minimal contact, Emma's mind erupted with sharp jolts of pressure and pain. She winced, squeezing her eyes closed tightly, as another memory began to play behind her eyes.

* * *

_Emma, now back in her infant body, had finally stopped falling. Or, at least, she had assumed she had been falling. The feeling that had enveloped her tiny belly had suggested as much. However, now she was alone in the middle of a dark forest, nestled within the confines of an old, battered tree trunk. The bark looked as though an explosion had just gutted the tree to its core. _

_Unable to contain herself any longer, Emma erupted into a symphony of shrill cries. Where was she? Where were her parents? Why was she all alone? The cries continued even as a small pair of shaking arms scooped her tiny body up and out of the tree. A frail red-haired boy stared down at her, tears of his own sliding down his freckled cheeks. He sniffled a few times, then began bouncing Emma the best he could manage. She was rather heavy for such a small boy. "Shh, Emma. It's okay." But his words didn't sound confident in the least. He was just as scared as she was. _

_Tender brown eyes began to search the area for help. Unknown to Emma, she and the boy were now in a completely new realm. While he would always remember their travels through the enchanted tree, without support, Emma would not. She was far too young. The pale, exhausted, and frightened child carried Emma towards a road where lights were approaching. Not knowing any better, he stepped into the middle of the dark pavement and stared, bottom lip quivering. Emma found herself mesmerized by the lights getting closer. _

_All at once, an awful screeching sound filled the air and the small boy shied away, hiding his face within Emma's baby blanket. Disturbed by the dreadful sound, Emma's cries picked back up again with vengeance. The sound had been a car's tires desperately trying to gain grip on the pavement. Thankfully they had, and both Emma's and the boy's lives had been spared. An unfamiliar woman approached in earnest from inside the car, nearly hysterical from what had just occurred. _

_Through tear filled eyes, Emma again found the tree that the boy had taken her from. Seeing it from this point of view, she was able to take in its physical appearance and surroundings. Then, as the woman ushered the young boy that was holding Emma into the car, the portal from the Enchanted Forest faded from view, and life in a magic-free world began._

* * *

"Emma?"

A panic-littered tone drew the teen abruptly from her second memory. While she had expected the voice to belong to Mary Margaret, it did not. Emma's gaze fell on Regina, who's face was inches from her own, porcelain hands gripping her arms firmly. "Emma!"

"Mom?" the blonde croaked.

There was sudden relief in Regina's brown eyes, but also blatant fear as she regarded the man in the bed. "What just happened?"

"I-um... headache," Emma muttered. It wasn't a complete lie, she most definitely had a headache now. An unrelenting pressure was building beneath her skull, triggering nausea within her stomach. Now, Emma even felt pressure pushing through the tips of her fingers. She flexed her hands, finding the sensation odd. "I don't feel too great," she admitted as well.

"Let's get you home," Regina urged, helping Emma to stand. She shot an accusing look towards Mary Margaret, who was watching with concern from across the bed. "You should have called me the minute she showed up here! She has a head injury! What made you even think this was a good idea?" she snarled.

Emma quickly came to her friend's defense. "It's not her fault. We wanted to stay and volunteer with her." Ava and Nicholas, who were now standing meekly in the doorway, nodded in agreement.

"Regina, I'm sorry. Emma was just reading to him. I don't know what happened," Mary Margaret exclaimed.

At the reminder of the _him _in the bed, Regina's mood grew darker. She collected Emma's bag, but mistakenly left the storybook behind. She was too wrapped up in her escalating temper to think clearly. "Emma is not to come near this man again," she growled at Mary Margaret, who could only nod.

"But mom-"

"No Emma. No buts. We are going home, now." Knowing it would be pointless to argue and not willing to explain herself at the moment, Emma closed her mouth and let Regina lead her out of the room. Home was probably a good idea anyway, as she was beginning to ache everywhere, like her body was fighting off a virus. "Ms. Blanchard will take you both home," Regina basically ordered as she passed Ava and Nicholas.

Emma cast an apologetic glance towards them before her mind was re-visited by the recent memory. She willed the image of the battered tree trunk to come forward so that she could memorize every aspect of the area. She also recalled the details of the little red-headed boy that had been holding her. While she had hoped finding the man from her initial memory would provide some answers, contact with him had only provided more unanswered questions. But, she would figure this jumbled mess of images and questions out. She would get answers.


	10. Time to Remember

**Hi everyone! So sorry for my absence. I've been traveling constantly for the past couple of weeks and had to continue the travels unexpectedly for a family emergency. Thankfully, everything is going pretty well and will hopefully continue to improve. **

**I regret to say I won't be able to update twice a week like I had originally hoped. I recently found out that I got accepted into Veterinary School, so a lot of new tasks have suddenly presented themselves and my schedule has become a lot busier. I am going to do my best to update once per week, but I don't want to make any promises. I just have to focus mostly on preparing for school and my family for the time being, but I will write as much as I can. **

**Thank you everyone for bearing with me, and I hope this new chapter helps make up for the long wait. Please enjoy and let me know what you think. **

**Chapter**** 10****: Time to Remember**

* * *

Amidst darkness and the steady beeping of a heart monitor, David Nolan attempted to open his eyes for the first time in 15 years. Dr. Whale had gone home for the night and the sole nurse on duty had retreated downstairs for a fresh cup of coffee, so no one was around for this miracle. David, better known as Storybrooke's John Doe, blinked rapidly a few times in an attempt to clear his cloudy vision, and then permitted his pupils to adjust to the shadowed hospital room.

Unsure of what was going on, he eyed the area for anything familiar. Nothing jogged any memories. Aside from a vacant chair in the corner of the room, a small table topped off with a flower-filled vase, and the various monitors that seemed to be keeping tabs on his body, the room was bare. Lifting a hand, he carefully observed an IV pumping fluid into his veins. _Where the hell am I?_ His thoughts were growing increasingly panicked.

David attempted to shift in the bed to obtain a more comfortable position. It felt as if he had been stuck on this bed for far too long. That was when he felt an odd pressure hovering over his legs. Curiosity getting the better of him, he sat up in bed and noticed an old book sprawled open across his lap. He must have had visitors earlier in the day, between the fresh flowers and now this. Perhaps this book could jog a few memories. Reaching forward, his palm fell across the shadowed image of Prince Charming delicately placing an infant Emma into the enchanted tree. No sooner had his fingers brushed the page, than all of his memories came flooding back at once.

_...David being recruited, or perhaps more so forced, to take the place of his twin brother, Prince James... The carriage ride through back roads with the woman whom he was being forced to marry, which had suddenly been interrupted by a thief who stole his engagement ring... Later trapping the thief in a hidden net and discovering the scoundrel to be a woman, Snow White... Fighting the trolls along Snow's side, nearly losing his life, only for the princess to save him by sacrificing a product she needed for revenge on the Evil Queen... Watching Snow try on the engagement ring, mesmerized by her beauty... Watching in helpless terror as the Evil Queen forced Snow into a sleeping curse... Finding his true love motionless in a glass coffin, anguish replaced by elation as true love's kiss brought Snow back to him... Their wedding that had been disrupted by the Evil Queen and her worrisome threat... The feelings of amazement and love as he watched Snow deliver Emma into the world... and finally, the overwhelming feelings of utter fear and anguish as he had to place his baby girl in the enchanted tree and send her to another world before being stabbed._

David gasped loudly, yanking his hand away from the book as if it had been burned. His mind reeled with the flood of images as realization hit him, and he quickly felt for the stab wound on his side; however, there was nothing. How long had he been asleep? Where was Snow? But then the memory of the Dark Curse came to the forefront of his mind as well. Regina must have trapped him under some kind of sleeping curse without his memories, which meant that Snow would have no idea who he was if he tried to find her. Then it hit him... _Emma._

There was no possibility that he could have woken up _and _regained his memories without her help. She was the Savior, and the only one that could break this curse. With his memories back, it was up to him to help his daughter do just that. But, how old was she, even? What did she look like? He knew absolutely nothing of his own flesh and blood. As these thoughts entered the prince's mind, his blood began to boil at the realization that Regina had caused all of this. She had taken _everything _away from him, Snow, Emma... _everyone. _All because of her own selfish desire for revenge.

David shot up from the bed, yanking IVs out of his arms in a fit of rage. Regina would pay for what she had done, but first, he needed to find Emma. Recalling that the book had trigged all of his memories, David threw himself over the bed and snatched up the aged leather. While he was shocked to find that the book was indeed about his own story, he was more intrigued by the page it had been left open on- him, mentally going against all of his instincts as a new father, and placing his defenseless daughter inside a portal that would take her to another realm... _this_ realm. A new sensation, something unknown that urged David to move, gently nudged at his mind as he stared at the drawing. He needed to leave and follow this gut feeling, now. Giving into hope and desperation, the blonde snapped the book closed and made a beeline for the door. Thankfully, no one had appeared to try and stop him, so within minutes he was outside the hospital and heading for the cover of the woods, his feet guiding him effortlessly through the night.

* * *

Emma sat on her normal stool at the kitchen island the following morning, tired eyes casted towards the counter as she stabbed aimlessly at a mound of eggs on her plate. While she had hoped sleeping would ease her mind and make her body feel better, it hadn't. Her body ached dully everywhere and she felt like all of her energy was drained. Her head also throbbed mercilessly, regardless of the amount of pain pills she forced down her throat. The combination of all this had left the teen in a sour, agitated mood.

"Okay Emma, what's wrong?" Regina sighed heavily. She watched Emma scoop another round of eggs onto her fork, only to tip the utensil and let the food fall back onto the plate.

"Not hungry," the blonde muttered tersely.

"Does it not taste good?" Regina prompted, trying to make sense of her daughter's strange mood.

"I'm just not hungry," Emma snapped, slamming her fork onto the counter. Regina jumped at the sudden action, eyebrows immediately rising towards her hairline. She was about to chastise the younger woman, but held her tongue as Emma hid her face within her hands and began massaging her temples.

"Is it a headache?" she tried carefully.

Emma nodded beneath her hands, moving her fingers in small circles to try and sooth the tension building beneath her skull. "Bad one..."

Regina's concern grew and she stood from her seat, moving around the island to gently massage Emma's shoulders. Sometimes tense muscles could also cause headaches, and as Regina began working her fingers over the area, she could feel Emma's muscles straining against the new pressure. "Did you take any medicine?" she questioned.

"More than usual. It's not doing anything this time," the teen moaned. "And I just... ache... everywhere."

Regina paused the massage to swivel Emma around on the stool. She brought the back of her right hand to her daughter's forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever."

"I don't," the teen agreed, pulling slowly away from Regina's hand. "It's just..." Emma couldn't quite will the words to come out of her mouth. She trusted Regina, but she also knew that what she was about to say would sound crazy. She didn't want Regina to look at her like so many others had. But if these memories... or flashes... whatever she had been seeing, were real, then the cat would most definitely get out of the bag eventually.

"What Emma?" Regina pushed, her hands resting gently on each of the teen's shoulders. Her brown orbs were filled with so much genuine concern, they prompted Emma to speak.

"It's just, something happened yesterday at the hospital. And the other day when I got pulled out of the mines." She dropped her eyes to her lap, nerves scraping at her stomach.

"What Emma? What happened?" Regina pried. She slowly ran her hands up and down Emma's upper arms, trying anything to calm her down. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Emma nodded without a second thought. "It's just... it sounds crazy, but I swear I'm telling the truth. After I got pulled out of the mine, when I passed out- I saw what I'm positive was a memory... _my _memory. There was a man. He was carrying me, back when I was a baby, and he looked panicked like he was running from something..." Emma knew full well that, if the storybook was correct, he was saving her from the Evil Queen, but she would leave that whole part out for the time being. "I think- well, I think he was my father... my biological one..."

"Your father?" Regina repeated. Naturally, she was skeptical, but she wanted to hear Emma out.

"Yes, but... um... there's more. He- he looked exactly like the John Doe at the hospital..." Emma trailed off.

Something snapped within Regina's brain, and her orbs grew wide. _John Doe? The John Doe? As in Prince Charming? No... no, this couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. _Regina actually stumbled backwards, and Emma swiftly reached an arm out to steady her. "Mom, are you okay?" she gasped.

_No, no, no! This can't be happening! _Regina's mind wouldn't stop ranting and her panic was growing by the second. Her head began shaking back and fourth slowly as she lifted a hand to run slender fingers roughly through her hair. _This couldn't be happening!_

"Mom!" Emma sharp tone snatched Regina from her thoughts. Frazzled brown eyes fell on concerned hazel ones. "What's wrong?" Emma prompted.

"It's- it's nothing," Regina lied as she tried desperately to get her tone back under control. Not able to force herself into the stoic woman she usually was, the former queen tried another tactic- a concerned mother. "Emma, you hit your head really hard when you fell. Your mind was just coping... trying to take you to a better place."

Emma shook her head and furrowed her brows, dropping her hand from Regina's arm. She had already heard this before. "No, that's not what happened. It was too real, mom. It was a memory."

"Emma... that man can't be your father. It's impossible," Regina tried again, her voice unconsciously rising.

"Why? _Why _is it impossible?" the teen challenged.

"Because, Emma! He's been in Storybrooke for years, _in a coma_! He has no wife, no family! He has no one!" Regina practically sputtered, trying anything to get Emma to listen.

"But that-"

"No, Emma!" If her daughter wouldn't listen to reason, she'd have to think of something else. "As I said, you hit your head really hard. And you... well, you've been through a lot in your life. It's natural for your mind to try and cope in some way."

Emma's eyes grew wide, and then narrowed into disbelieving slits. Their normal liquid hazel appearance became solid. "No, don't go there," the blonde snapped harshly, shooting up from her stool. Her whole body protested the sudden movement, but she didn't care.

"Honey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe you could just talk to someone-"

"No!" The word was loud and final. Emma stumbled backwards, her body suddenly pleading to get away from Regina. It was a defense mechanism. Every time someone gave up on her, her instincts were to run. She ran into the stool by mistake, making it skid a few inches across the floor. "You think I'm crazy," she stammered.

Regina's motherly instincts began to rise above her sheer panic over this situation. Her eyes softened and she reached a hand towards Emma. "No, Emma, I could never think that," she promised. Regardless of her powerful feelings for this girl she had grown to love, the Evil Queen within still tugged heavily at her mind. _If she's having visions of the prince, and she believes him to be her father, she could be your undoing! __She's the age of your curse, and Gold always has an ulterior motive! _Her inner voice nagged and nagged, forcing the more tame and sensible Regina down. If there was any chance that Emma could be the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, she couldn't allow her to discover it.

"Then why won't you believe me?" Emma pleaded, eyes growing damp. "You're supposed to be my mother, the one person I can trust! And yet you're looking at me like- like that!" The blonde motioned roughly with her arms towards Regina's face.

"Emma..." Regina tried to step forward again, but Emma would have none of it and scurried out of the way. "Please, I just want to help."

Emma scoffed, a nearly hysterical sound. "Right, but not the kind of help I need from you. You know, I thought I finally found someone that I could trust... someone who would listen and wouldn't give up on me. I guess I was wrong!" Emma darted around Regina, pushing through her headache and growing bodily pains, and sprinted from the house.

"Emma, wait!" Regina pleaded, but she was already gone. Her body and mind were too stunned to give chase at the moment, instead falling back against the wall. She slowly sank down into a sitting position, both hands buried deeply within her chin-length tendrils. "Dammit!" She choked out the word brokenly. How could this be happening? Her daughter, a girl the queen had grown to love more than anything else in all the worlds, could possibly be her biggest enemy and her undoing.

* * *

"Gold!" Regina stormed into the pawn shop, throwing the door open with such force that it flew as far as it could before bouncing back harshly against the hinges. The shelves nearby vibrated in response to the motion.

Mr. Gold looked up from a book he was reading behind the counter, grey eyes conveying annoyance. "Madam Mayor, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he grumbled.

Regina stalked forward and slammed her hands down on the counter, eyes blazing. "You bastard! You knew!" He only quirked a brow at her.

"I know a lot of things, dearie, but you're going to have to be more specific," he taunted while gently closing his book. It was clear that he wouldn't be getting anymore reading done anytime soon.

"Emma! You rigged the whole adoption! You knew who she was!" Regina accused sharply.

Gold sighed, placing both of his palms upon the counter. "And who is she?" he questioned.

"Oh, stop playing dumb! You know _exactly _who she is, and you know exactly who you are," she finished in a lower, blatant tone.

The aging man offered a sideways smile, amusement in his dark eyes. "Why yes, dearie, I do know who I am. Mr. Gold, the exceedingly handsome pawn broker of Storybrooke."

"No!" Regina leaned over the counter, dominating Gold's personal space with accusing eyes. She was in no mood for games. "Who are you, Gold? _Really_?"

The man regarded her carefully, not even flinching at their close proximity. On the contrary, after a moment of pause, Gold leaned in as well to reduce the limited space even further. With their noses merely an inch apart, eyes glinting with sudden mischief, he finally revealed his true identity. "Rumplestiltskin."

Regina drew back, face set in stone. When she spoke, her tone was flat and merciless. "You did this. You brought her here."

"Actually, I did what you asked. I got you a child," he piped back arrogantly. "_You _brought her here. You were so wrapped up with the need to be accepted and loved, that you looked past all the blatant signs. It's not like I did anything to hide the truth from you. You did that all on your own."

Regina drew in a deep, long breath, anger rising within her chest. "The law of the Dark Curse states that Emma was supposed to return on her 28th birthday," she bit out between clenched teeth. "She's 15. Bringing her here early has accomplished nothing."

"Ah, but it has. Have you not checked your phone?" he queried. Regina only glared and reached into her jacket pocket, only to realize her phone was back at the house. She had left earlier with nothing in a fit of rage. Knowing the answer, Rumple sneered. "A little birdie might have mentioned that John Doe... or should we just call him by his true name now? Prince Charming... woke up and strolled right out of the building last night." He made a playful walking motion with two of his fingers.

"No..." Regina's eyes grew wide.

"Yes!" Gold interjected. "And I'm sure he's out looking for his sweet, precious Emma right now."

Regina growled in anger and began storming back towards the door, intent on finding Charming before he found Emma. "Oh, and Regina..." She paused in the doorway, chest heaving up and down heavily as she waited impatiently for Rumple to finish. "As you know, all magic comes with a price, _especially _magic with broken rules. Perhaps you should consider the price of mixing young Emma with this curse before the meeting was prophesied," he warned, although the words were accompanied by a knowing smirk.

Regina's breath hitched in her throat. _The headaches. _Swiveling on her heels without giving Rumple a second glance, the mayor hurried across the street towards her car. She had to get to Emma before it was too late.

* * *

Emma ran as fast as her feet would carry her, no specific destination in mind. Right now, all she wanted to do was put distance between herself and Regina. The bouncing motion of her stride caused her headache to flare even more, the pressure behind her eyes creating black spots in her vision. She bit her bottom lip and forced back tears, unwilling to slow her pace.

Before long, Emma ended up on one edge of town where the forest dominated. Knowing the trees would provide good cover, she continued straight. Dead leaves crackled beneath her sneakers, breaking the natural silence. A fallen branch hidden beneath the underbrush caused Emma to trip, and she used a nearby tree to break her fall. As her hand met the wood, a shock of pain jolted through her head, accompanied by the familiar image of the man from her memories. Emma collapsed on the ground, the pain getting the better of her, and leaned forward to bury her head within her arms. She could feel nausea building within her stomach, and the dull aches and pains within her joints flared. A gasp tore its way from her throat.

"Emma?"

A vaguely familiar voice drifted towards her. Startled by the unexpected company, she threw herself backwards towards the nearest tree, her spine pressed firmly against the trunk. Confused hazel eyes fell on the last person she had expected to see, and her heartbeat accelerated. Before her stood the John Doe from the hospital, now clothed in black sweatpants and an old t-shirt. He must have grabbed the first set of clothes he had come across. "You... how?" she stuttered.

He held his hands up slowly, indicating that he meant no harm. "I woke up last night, and I found your book." He withdrew the familiar text from beneath one of his arms.

"Why are you here?" she questioned, her tone tired and unsure.

"I needed to find you. I just had this gut feeling, so I followed it," he attempted to explain without much success. Emma stared at him as if he had two heads. "You don't need to be scared of me."

"Who are you?" she asked quickly. Perhaps this man could finally provide her with some answers... prove to her that she wasn't crazy.

"That's hard to explain..."

"Try me," she challenged. David noticed a fire in her hazel eyes that reminded him so much of Snow. He couldn't help but smile.

"Well, this book," he attempted as he leaned down to place the leather binding on the ground, "...at least the page that I saw... is true. The prince inside of this book is me, Emma." At the look on her face, he continued with confidence. "And I'm betting that you know who you are."

"The baby..." she breathed. Again, a jolt of pain blinded her vision and she cringed.

"Emma?" David unconsciously got to his feet and hurried to the blonde's side, moving instinctually to place a hand of comfort on her back. But, before he could, Emma shied away.

"Please, don't. It's like the contact triggers the pain," she heaved through heavy breaths.

David stared down at his daughter with great concern. "It must be the memories trying to come back to you," he mentioned, clearly unhappy with Emma's discomfort.

Emma scoffed suddenly, running her hands across her face. "This is all insane!" She looked between slender fingers at the man before her. "So I'm just supposed to believe that I'm the daughter of _Snow White and Prince Charming_? They're made up characters in a freaking book!" she gaped.

"Emma, I know it's a lot to process..."

"You think?" Emma suddenly shot to her feet, pushing through the pain that went with the movement. Charming carefully followed. "Everyone... _everyone_ lies! The _one _person in my whole life I thought I could trust..." A disbelieving, non-humurous smile overcame Emma's lips. "My mother is the Evil Queen..."

At that statement, Charming bristled. "Emma, no. Snow is nothing like..."

"Not her!" Emma heaved, cutting him off. "Regina! She, well... she adopted me."

Charming's mouth fell slack, blue eyes growing wide. He tried to speak, but no words would come out. "She... did... what..." he finally croaked.

"I thought I could trust her," Emma whimpered, voice breaking. She wiped away a stray tear, then focused her gaze back on her newly discovered father. "But she was just using me... just like everyone else. They use me and then throw me away like I'm garbage..."

David's heart shattered at Emma's words. What had she been forced to endure over the course of her life, all because of this curse? "Emma..."

"No," she snapped, backing away from him. "You sent me away when I was a baby! You don't get to say anything!"

He stepped towards her slowly, pleading her with his eyes to understand. His voice grew hoarse with emotion as he attempted to speak. "It was to protect you," he tried. "So that you wouldn't be stuck in this curse. So that you could find us."

"But you could have kept me!" she argued, any sense of reason long gone. "We would have been cursed, but we would have been _together_." Deep down, Emma knew that statement wasn't necessarily true, but she was too distraught to think clearly at the moment.

"Emma!" a new voice called in panic. The blonde swiveled her head around to see Regina approaching her.

"No, you stay back!" Emma snapped, instinctively backing away from the woman she had grown so close to over the last few months. "You used me!"

"No, Emma, I swear I didn't- I'm not!" the brunette begged, shaking her head. Thankfully, Emma and David were only a few yards into the tree line, and she had noticed them while driving by.

"Don't lie to me!" the teen screamed. There was so much pain in her voice... so much distrust. Regina's heart nearly shattered.

"You witch!" David suddenly snapped. "What did you do to her?" He closed the space between them within seconds and slammed Regina back against a nearby tree, pinning her with his forearm. True fear entered Regina's eyes as she realized she had no magic to protect herself.

"I didn't do anything to her!" she choked out, glaring confident daggers at Charming. "I had no idea she was your daughter when I adopted her!" She shifted her gaze from David to Emma, who was shakily standing a few feet away. "Emma please, I love you! I would _never_ hurt you! Regardless of my past, you helped me find what goodness I have left inside. I owe you everything."

"Lies!" David screamed, pressing down harder on Regina's throat.

"No, stop!" Emma's request suddenly garnered both of their attention. David reluctantly, but immediately, adhered to his daughter's wish by releasing the pressure on Regina's throat so that she could breathe again. "Please, just... don't hurt her."

While everything inside of her despised Regina at the moment, she had sensed truth behind her mother's words. She didn't want her to be harmed. She didn't want anyone to be harmed. "I just... this- it's all just so much," Emma sighed. She turned to walk a few paces away, but stopped dead in her tracks when a familiar setting presented itself. On the top of a small crest in the ground, standing by itself, was the battered tree from Emma's second memory... this world's side of the portal she had traveled through as a child. "This... it's where I arrived as a baby. This is the tree..." Emma gasped. She stepped forward, almost instinctively reaching for the bark.

"No, Emma wait!" Regina screamed, fighting against Charming's hold. "Wait, please! You weren't supposed to arrive in Storybrooke for years! I don't know what the consequences will be if the curse is broken too early!" Emma paused and looked at Regina over her shoulder, hand held in mid-air. "Please, Emma! I don't care about the curse. You mean so much more to me than it ever will. I can't lose you..." she trailed off, words becoming broken sobs.

David, soaking in the meaning of Regina's words, released the Evil Queen and focused his attention on Emma. He had learned a long time ago that all magic came with a price. This curse would be no different. "Emma, allowing yourself to connect with this part of your past could trigger something bad. Why don't you wait? Let's just take a second to figure everything out..."

Emma took in the importance of their words, but her mind was made up. "I'm sorry," she apologized with sincere eyes. "But I need answers." With that said, and through the cries of fear from both her parents, Emma reached out and placed her palm flat against the trunk. A spark of white light ignited between her hand and the wood, triggered a wave of intense pain like she had never felt before. The torment started within her head, pressure building within her skull until she felt like it would explode, and then agonizingly slowly clawed its way through her body. She felt as if she was being ripped apart from the inside out.

Through the agony, flashes of memories took over her vision. She remembered _everything. _The tales within the storybook became her reality, melding with her mind. As the final memories faded away, so did her consciousness. Sparks of light invaded her vision before everything suddenly went black. Somewhere far away, she could hear David and Regina calling her name in despair. Her body gave away as her mind shut down, falling limply towards the forest floor.


	11. The Anchor

**Hi everyone. Sorry for the delay. I apologize that this chapter is shorter than the others, but I hope the content makes up for the length.**

**Chapter 11: The Anchor**

David threw himself forward just as Emma began to fall, catching her limp form in his arms before she could make contact with the ground. He gently lowered himself so that Emma was sprawled across his thighs. "Emma? _Emma_?"

The prince's tone arched with worry as he shook Emma's shoulders vigorously, his icy orbs laden with fear. "Emma, please, wake up!" This couldn't be happening. He had only just woken up from the Dark Curse... only just truly laid eyes on his beautiful daughter. His arms encircled Emma protectively when Regina approached, kneeling down beside him. "Stay away from her!"

David's words didn't even seem to register in the brunette's mind, though. She reached forward, hand trembling, as she delicately cupped Emma's cheek. "Emma?" The word was so quiet... so broken.

"What is wrong with her?" David bit out, his gaze darting between the woman he despised and his helpless daughter.

"I..." Regina seemed at a loss for words, her mouth partially open and twitching as if she wanted to explain, but couldn't. Her finger's hovered over Emma's cheek. "I don't know."

"You _don't know?_" Charming practically hissed. If it weren't for Emma in his arms, he would have rammed the Evil Queen against a tree again, threatening her with force for answers. "This is your fault! Fix it!"

"I don't know how to!" Regina snapped back, but any anger in her tone dissipated as her worry for the girl she had grown to love as a daughter grew more frantic. "I didn't do this to her. Something must have happened when she touched the portal..."

"I'm not blind, I can see that!" David growled. He tore his murderous gaze away from Regina to check Emma's pulse. After a few moments, he spoke up again. "Her pulse is weak. We need to get her to the hospital." At those words, David rose to his feet with Emma draped bridal-style in his arms.

Regina hurried after him, her dress shoes breaking the brittle leaves that littered the ground. "David, wait! You can't go back there!" She grabbed his arm, but immediately retracted it when he tore it out of her grasp.

"The hell I can't!"

Regina backed up and raised her hands, much more concerned about Emma currently than maintaining an air of arrogance around Charming. "The town is still under the Dark Curse. They think you're a run-away John Doe with no memories. If you go in there, you're going to be detained and half of the staff is going to be fussing over you. They won't be completely focused on Emma," she tried desperately to explain. She noticed a flicker of understanding cross David's eyes. "Let me take her."

"Why should I trust you with her after everything you've done?" Charming spat. "Emma is the one thing that can break this curse! How do I know you just won't take her somewhere and kill her?" David's grip instinctively tightened around Emma at the thought, but something within Regina snapped. Her brown orbs narrowed into slits, glaring daggers at the man. If looks could kill, he would be dead.

"I would _never _harm Emma!" the mayor snarled. "No matter what you may think of me, I care for Emma like a daughter. She _is _my daughter!" Before David could protest, she pushed forward. They didn't have time to argue. "Emma needs help and I don't know how to help her. I'm her mother and I can't protect her..." Regina brokenly trailed off. Then, suddenly, something dawned on her. "But I think I know someone who can, or who will know what's wrong. Rumple."

David gazed down at Emma, but then finally relented. "Fine. You take Emma to the hospital. See if they can help her. I'll go find Rumple."

Regina nodded, ushering him towards her car on the side of the road. "He's known as Mr. Gold here, but he is awake. He has a pawn shop in town. I'll drop you off as we drive past."

After depositing Emma in the backseat, Regina and David hurried into the car as well. "What is this contraption? Some sort of horseless carriage?" the man questioned.

Regina couldn't help but roll her eyes, stomping her foot down on the gas pedal to send the car careening down the road towards town. "It's called a car."

Within minutes, Regina screeched to a halt in front of the pawn shop. David slid out of his seat and turned to close the door, but paused momentarily. "Regina, if anything happens to Emma, your life will be the price. I will kill you."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Regina didn't waste another second once the door was slammed closed, flooring it towards the center of town.

* * *

"Rumpelstiltskin!" David barreled through the front door of the pawn shop, searching the area frantically for the man who might have answers about Emma.

"Well, I see you have your memories back," the smaller man commented as he appeared from the back of the shop. David was momentarily taken aback by Rumple's new look- scaleless skin, grey hair, and even a cane to boot. He watched as Gold stopped near the counter, leaning heavily against the fancy stick. "I take it you're not here to catch up. What can I help you with?"

David didn't miss the blatant taunting in his tone. "What is wrong with Emma? She collapsed after she touched the portal that we sent her through as a baby. She won't wake up."

"Perhaps she just fainted from the news that Prince Charming and Snow White are her parents," Gold offered flatly.

David's anger sparked and he suddenly saw red. Within two long strides, the prince had Rumple's shirt gripped firmly in his fists, pinning the man against the nearest wall. "I don't have time for games!" he snarled. "What is wrong with her?" As he asked the question, he drew Rumple from the wall and slammed him against it a second time.

The Dark One glared, two black holes meeting David's eyes. "What do you _think?_" he spat. "The Dark Curse wasn't supposed to be broken until after Emma's 28th birthday. She's here too early." Rumple shoved against David's hold, breaking it as he continued. "As I told Regina earlier, all magic comes with a price. Emma is paying that price. The curse is using her. She isn't strong enough to face it yet."

David stumbled backwards, those words a shock to his system. "How can I help her? What can I do to fix this?"

"There is nothing you can do." Gold spoke bluntly, raising his hands to smooth out the wrinkles on his shirt.

"Of course there is!" David tried desperately. "You don't want this curse to last forever... to be stuck here endlessly!" He gestured around the shop. "We both know you had your own motives for letting the Dark Curse take effect. You can't accomplish anything if time stops forever!"

Gold looked up from his shirt, a devious half-smirk overtaking his lips. "Who ever mentioned anything about being stuck here?" As the grey-haired man spoke, the whole ground began to shake roughly. David gripped the nearby counter to keep from falling off balance. Once the shaking ended, he looked back towards Gold.

"What was that?"

"That my old friend, is the curse falling apart," Gold explained smugly. David spun on his heels and darted out of the building, his head whipping around as he tried to see what had caused the short earth quake. Gold followed behind slowly, his cane clicking against the hardwood. David's eyes widened as he took in a massive black cloud coming towards them slowly from the outskirts of the town. Gold's voice drew him out of his shock. "Emma's presence has changed things. She's broken the curse's hold on this town... on Storybrooke."

David jolted around to face the man, eyes blazing. "What does that mean?"

"It means..." Gold began again in a condescending tone, "that the curse is going to destroy this location and finish its purpose elsewhere. In the place where it was originally cast."

"The Enchanted Forest..." David heaved.

"Exactly." The word was followed by Rumple's annoyingly familiar cackle. "We will all be transported back and the curse will remain in effect for 13 more years, until the time that it was supposed to be broken."

"But what about Emma? What will happen to her?" Panic began to flare again in David's chest.

Gold paused, as if debating whether to explain further. "I might as well tell you. You won't remember this soon enough." With a careless shrug, he continued. "Emma's body will act as the vessel for the curse. She was born in the Enchanted Forest, but was raised in this world. That makes her an anchor for both realms. The curse will absorb into her as this town fades away and then force itself free again in our realm. Once the curse is done with her, she will have no memory of her life in Storybrooke. It will be as if we never existed."

David shook his head slowly, not believing what he was hearing. "If we are to live out the rest of the curse in the Enchanted Forest and Emma is thrust back into life here, how is she supposed to find us? How is she supposed to break the curse once she is strong enough to face it?"

Gold shrugged again, then turned to wander back into his shop. "That is up to destiny."

Although David couldn't see it, Gold's face darkened as he slipped back inside. What he had just explained to the Prince would indeed happen, _if_ Emma Swan lived. However, he had no intention of allowing that. Once he was positive that David wouldn't follow him back inside, Gold stooped down behind the counter and lifted a loose floorboard. Beneath it laid his own dagger. He lifted the blade, examining it as the metal glinted against the light.

If he could drive this blade into Emma's heart the second that all of the Dark Curse was absorbed into her body, then he would destroy the curse and that incessant girl all at once. He would have nothing to fear in the future from her light magic. Everyone would be returned to the Enchanted Forest, while Rumple would be able to remain here and focus on his true quest, finding Baelfire.

Gold stood from his crouched position, determination blinding his thoughts as he headed for the door.

* * *

When David made it back to the hospital after running all the way there from Gold's shop, he didn't need to worry about sneaking in without being noticed. Half of the hospital staff was outside gaping at the black cloud of magic barreling towards the center of the town. Regina was outside as well, but as if sensing David's presence, her gaze fell on him as he approached.

"What is going on?" she growled as she tugged him back into the building.

"Don't you recognize your own curse?" David snarled back.

"My curse... that's impossible-"

"Oh, apparently it's _very _possible. You bringing Emma here early has damaged the curse, or at least its hold on this land," David shot back.

"What are you talking about?" The brunette's eyes were wide as saucers as she tried to understand.

"The curse is going to use Emma to transfer from this land back to the Enchanted Forest. When it goes back there and takes us with it, she won't remember anything having to do with Storybrooke. Now I know why you brought her here, you sick bastard!" David screamed, shoving her against the wall just as he had done to Gold back in the shop.

Regina fought against his grasp, struggling to free herself. Where was her damn magic when she needed it. "What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Stop pretending you don't know!"

"I _don't!_" The words were said in a defeated tone of finality as Regina stopped struggling against his hands.

"If the Dark Curse resumes it's purpose in another realm and leaves Emma behind in this one, she will have no way of finding us! She'll never be able to break the curse!" David howled loudly.

All of the fight went out of Regina's body as she slowly shook her head. "No, I didn't know this was going to happen. _Gold _brought Emma here. He set this all up."

David's grip on Regina loosened and he stepped back, confusion clouded by anger evident on his face. "What do you mean, Gold brought her here? You said it yourself, you adopted her!"

"And I _also_ said that I had no idea who she was when I brought her into Storybrooke!" Regina yelled back. "Gold arranged the adoption! He set all of this up!"

David finally released his hold completely, stepping backwards. "Why would he do that? Why would he go through all of this trouble just to force the curse back into the Enchanted Forest?" he heaved.

Regina rolled her shoulders to try and rid them of the pain that had arisen from being shoved against the wall. "I don't know. He _wanted_ me to cast this curse. He wanted it to be here, in this realm. He would have no reason to go back to the Enchanted Forest... unless..." The mayor's eyes widened, falling on David.

"Unless _what, _Regina?" he growled.

"Unless he's found a way to break the curse early."

"He just told me himself, there is no way to break the curse early! Emma is the only one who can and she's not strong enough yet!" David pointed out.

"And since when has it _ever _been a good idea to trust the Dark One?" Regina snapped back.

David paused, stumbling on whatever words he had been planning to say. "Point taken," he finally settled on.

"He wanted Emma here. He wanted her to disrupt the curse." Re-awoken panic for her daughter was beginning to creep into her voice. "How exactly did Gold say that the curse is going to use Emma?"

David tried to quickly recall the older man's explanation. "He said Emma is an anchor between both realms because she was born there and grew up here. He said the curse is going to enter her and then use her body to transport back to the Enchanted Forest."

Regina sprang into action then, running towards the staircase that would take them to Emma's room. Oxygen barreled from her lungs due to a mix of panic and physical exertion. David immediately followed behind. "He isn't planning on letting the curse make it back to our realm," she called over her shoulder. "He's going to kill her before it can."

* * *

Gold slipped through the back entrance of the hospital, knowing full well that everyone would be preoccupied with the black magic surrounding the town. As predicted, no one was around to question him when he headed for the elevators. He waited patiently, leaning against his cane, until the contraption _binged _to signal his arrival to the fourth floor.

After ambling through the open doors, Gold headed directly towards the room he knew Emma would be in. Inside, he found the teenage blonde still unconscious on a hospital bed. She was hooked up to a heart monitor that beeped steadily, informing him that she was still alive. _Not for long. _

Gold scanned the area, pleased to see no one was around, and then approached Emma's bedside. He steadied himself on his good leg and then reached inside his coat to withdraw the dagger. Emma remained unconscious, oblivious to the danger she was in. The aged man heard screams seeping through the walls from downstairs and outside. He drew the curtains back that covered the window beside Emma's bed and smiled. The curse was upon them.

The darkness shrunk considerably, shaping itself into a thick line that phased through the window as if the solid barricade wasn't there. The force of the magic pushed Gold back a few inches, aiming for Emma's chest and vanishing beneath the hospital gown. Other than the heart monitor picking up speed, Emma herself didn't move. The curse wedged itself into her thin body and within only seconds, the magic was nearing its end. Gold held the dagger above the future Savior, ready to plunge the blade into her chest the minute the lasts wisps of magic disappeared.

Moments away from lowering the blade, a vexed scream drew Gold's attention. David, who had passed Regina once they exited the staircase, barreled into the room. "Get away from my daughter!"

Without magic, there was no way for Gold to defend himself. In a last-ditch effort, he drove the blade down. An inch before meeting Emma's chest, David rammed his body into the older man and they both toppled to the ground. Regina threw her body over Emma's, hoping to act as a human shield incase Gold was able to get back on his feet. There was no time, though.

The last bit of darkness sunk within Emma's body and she lurched, her back arching up off the bed regardless of Regina's weight. Regina clung to Emma, desperately trying to lend her daughter comfort, support, and strength, as the teen's scream pierced the air. There was a sudden burst of light so bright that the mayor had to squeeze her eyes closed. She heard an enraged scream tear from Gold's throat before everything fell into darkness.


End file.
